September 2023 Southeast Edition

Length of Rental Decreases Year-Over-Year For First Time Since Start of Pandemic

Enterprise released Length of Rental (LOR) data for the second quarter of 2023, showing a 0.3-day decrease— from 17.7 days to 17.4—compared to the same quarter last year, the first dip in LOR year-over-year since the initial stages of the pandemic.

LORs was 9.6 days, compared to a gap of 9.0 days in Q2 2022. In the contiguous 48, the gap was 7.2 days between Georgia (20.5) and Iowa and North Dakota (both 13.1). In Q2 2022, this gap was 8.9 days between Louisiana and North Dakota.

Canada-Based Auto Firm To Invest $800M in 3 Tennessee Plants

By Andrew Lambrecht InsideEVs

Magna International works in a multitude of automotive industry sectors, supplying components for many vehicles, both fossil fuel-powered and electric, and its

subsidiary, Magna Steyr, builds EVs like the Jaguar I-Pace and Fisker Ocean. Worldwide, the firm operates 342 facilities, playing a significant role in the global auto industry.

On July 21, the Canadian-based automotive firm announced it will

It was also a 1.5-day decrease from the first quarter of this year, when LOR was 18.7 days, which fits historical seasonal trending of a decrease from the first quarter to the second quarter. While positive, these results continue to reflect the new normal, as the LOR for the second quarter in 2021 was 13.2 days.

Alaska recorded the highest overall LOR in Q2 at 22.7 days, followed by Georgia (20.5), Colorado (20.2) and Louisiana (20.1).

Hawaii had the lowest LOR with 13.1 days. North Dakota and Iowa were next-lowest at 13.3 days each, with DC (13.5) and Nebraska (13.9) completing the states under 14 days.

Interestingly, the gap between the highest—Alaska—and lowest—Hawaii—

Only three states saw a yearover-year increase of a day or more: Minnesota (+1.4), New Mexico (+1.2), and Montana (+1.0). Eighteen additional states saw increases while five other states were flat.

Notably, 24 states, plus Washington, D.C., saw decreases. Rhode Island (-2.0), DC (-1.9) and Louisiana (-1.8) had the largest decreases.

John Yoswick, editor of the weekly CRASH Network newsletter, said: “We’re seeing a number of trends that could account for some—though not a lot—of decline in LOR, at least for now. Shops’ backlog of work tends to drop in the spring, and this year was no exception. The national

l CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

Mercedes EQE Loaner Car Burns Down Inside Florida Homeowner’s Garage

By Dan Mihalascu InsideEVs

A Mercedes-Benz EQE sedan caught fire and burned to a crisp inside a Nocatee, FL, homeowner’s garage July 19, severely damaging the building.

The 2023 Mercedes-Benz

EQE 350+ sedan was in the garage when it caught fire. According to Jennifer Ruotolo, the EV was a loaner from Mercedes-Benz while

St. Johns County Fire Rescue shared to Facebook this photo of a 2023 MercedesBenz EQE 350+ sedan that caught fire in a home garage

Columnist Mike Anderson: Technical and Financial Considerations Related to Your Paint Department

Columnist Abby Andrews: SCRS Executive Director Responds to Criticism of Right to Repair Pact Signed with Automakers

Columnist Stacey Phillips: Body Shop Owners Discuss Mentorship Programs Initiated with Support from Toby Chess, Part 2

SCRS Executive Director Responds To Criticism of Right To Repair Pact Signed

With Automakers

By Abby Andrews Autobody News

On July 11, the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS), the Auto Service Association (ASA) and the Alliance for Automotive Innovation announced they had signed a “landmark agreement on automotive right to repair,” reaffirming a 2014 Memorandum of Understanding stating independent repair facilities shall have access to the same diagnostic and repair information automakers make available to authorized dealers.

Later that same day, the Auto Care Association (ACA) and CAR Coalition released statements criticizing the pact, calling it a “thinly veiled attempt to confuse lawmakers and drivers” from federal right to repair bills currently being considered by Congress, including the REPAIR and SMART acts.

“While the agreement purports to be relevant, all it does is affirm the 2014 MOU rather than implement a meaningful solution to preserve the entire automotive aftermarket and the competition and consumer choice that it creates,” ACA said in its statement.

dealers. The foundation of that agreement is the fact that we’re all working toward the same goal.

It wasn’t about replicating the 2014 agreement; it was about collaborative work between organizations that have built a trust all trying to accomplish the same thing.

Access to information, data, tools, equipment and procedures for collision repairers is critical in performing proper repairs. The agreement is an acknowledgment that we all believe—SCRS, ASA and the alliance and all the automakers it represents—that consumers deserve a safe, proper repair and that independent repair facilities should be and are able to access the information that’s necessary to do that.

I’m not sure I understand how or why any organization that claims to support right to repair would dismiss or oppose an agreement that reinforces that position. If we’re truly interested in or in favor of the right to repair, an agreement that enforces that independent repair facilities will continue to have access to the information they need to perform the repairs—the same diagnostics—this should be a good thing, and it’s odd that it’s not.

Q:Is the pact taking away focus from the REPAIR and SMART acts? Is it meant to be in place of or in addition to those laws, should they be passed?

opportunities with, in our opinion, an emphasis on upholding quality and safety standards, training, proper equipment, to perform repairs as designed by engineers. And the consumer choice has been more limited by proponents of other initiatives.

I’ll give you an example. The CAR Coalition is comprised of used and aftermarket parts groups, alternative parts sourcing platforms and insurance companies. All those groups, interestingly enough, have been waving this banner claiming to be in support of consumer choice and right to repair because independent businesses are being deprived of the information needed to fix the cars properly. But all of those companies have a financial interest in pushing consumers to the cheapest possible repair. Many of those businesses have also opposed initiatives that would hold repairers accountable to using the data already made available to them.

Again, our agreement is that independent repair facilities should continue to have access to the same diagnostics and repair information available to automakers’ dealers.

It’s a win for consumers, a win for the industry to affirm a commitment for that. We view it as a genuinely positive commitment for our members and their consumers.

Q: What is SCRS’ position on the REPAIR and SMART acts?

A: There are some concerns on our end, specifically around the proponents. The SMART Act is one [SCRS] has had conversations about in the past. We do not support it. We do believe in intellectual property rights. [The SMART Act] is not in consumers’ best interests for entities looking to create the cheapest possible option for safe and proper repairs, so we have not supported that.

Q: What is the response to the criticism the pact doesn’t address safety and security of the telematic data?

A:We specifically said telematics systems would not be used to circumvent the commitments made in the agreement, that automakers will provide access to diagnostic data to the extent it’s needed to complete a repair. The safety and security of that data is an obligation the automakers have in their compliance with safety standards.

On July 18, Aaron Schulenburg, executive director of SCRS, spoke about the criticism in an exclusive interview with Autobody News.

Q:What is the response to the ACA and CAR Coalition’s concerns about the pact?

A:Last week was an announcement between repairer organizations and automakers, who provide information and data necessary for repairs, that established independent repair facilities should have access to the same information available to

A:[The pact] is meant to be in recognition of our members’ needs. I can tell you the independent repair facilities we represent are not coming to SCRS saying they are struggling to gain access to tools or data needed to fix these vehicles correctly. What they are struggling with is downward pressure through insurance claims practices and others, that place challenges on them and their consumers and discourage the use, in many cases, of the available repair data.

It’s interesting because many of those proponents of the REPAIR Act don’t often act in the marketplace as if they support the use of OEM information in the process of repairs.

That’s part of the challenge here—you’ve got this scenario where automakers have really worked closely with SCRS and the independent collision repair community to develop repair

Q:ACA pointed out the pact is non-binding, doesn’t include some automakers, like Tesla, or compel any to join. What is the response to that?

A:It is an agreement. The nature of it, when you make public commitments, is that people are going to hold you accountable to them. It is true that agreement is between SCRS, ASA and the alliance, which has its direct members. SCRS only represents the collision group.

The agreement is not one we took lightly. It’s been under development. It’s one we all anticipate being held accountable to and one we all anticipate living up to as well.

I think the challenges of the authenticity of the agreement are just misguided to be frank. I certainly think that groups that truly believe there should be a right to repair for independent facilities should be championing it rather than casting aspersions at it.

Our interest as a representative of the collision repair group is to make sure our members have access to the information they need to perform those repairs properly. I would encourage talking to the alliance specifically about their concerns of safeguarding that information. It’s a pretty critical point of their conversations at the state level, making sure that info isn’t just open to anyone.

Relative to the SMART Act, there’s nothing in it that addresses safety concerns and that’s one of our biggest objections—vehicles are often one of a family’s biggest purchases, but the people who occupy it are irreplaceable. It’s important safety be prioritized in these conversations because consumers expect proper repairs, which are not a given. But to consumers, a collision repair should assure their vehicle is restored to the same condition as before that accident, and the safety systems will operate the same.

I think there’s just a lack of focus on how we restore the consumer, and much of the initiative is how we protect the companies that would otherwise benefit from consumers being pushed to cheaper, imitation parts.

Aaron Schulenburg, executive director of SCRS, is seen here speaking at an SCRS board meeting earlier this year.

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Classic Collision Adds

2 New Locations in FL

Classic Collision, LLC, announced a new closing Aug. 11—the acquisition of Buchholz Paint & Auto Body in Gainesville, FL.

Buchholz Paint & Autobody is a two-location family owned and operated paint and collision repair center with more than 30 years of experience and an earned reputation for providing high quality services in the Gainesville area.

“We are a family business and believe that our customer needs to be treated as family. I’ve seen firsthand that Classic Collision treats everyone like family,” said Brad Buchholz, former owner of Buchholz Paint & Auto Body.

“Buchholz Pain & Autobody has been a high performer for many years along with a strong focused on customer satisfaction, and we look forward to welcoming them to the Classic family as we continue to expand our footprint across Florida,” said Toan Nguyen, CEO of Classic Collision.

Source: Classic Collision

Hyundai, Kia, Genesis Hit With Class-Action Suit Over Faulty Charging Ports

By Iulian Dnistran InsideEVs

Owners of all-electric vehicles sold by Hyundai, Kia and Genesis have filed a nationwide classaction lawsuit against the car manufacturers, claiming certain models feature defective charging ports that can lead to longer than advertised charging times or even a failure to charge, potentially leaving users stranded.

The suit was filed in late July with the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California and alleges the automakers advertised vehicle charging times between five to seven hours, depending on vehicle make, with the use of a Level 2 home charger.

However, the lawsuit says, in reality, vehicle charging ports frequently overheat in as little as 30 minutes, causing the charging session to unexpectedly and repeatedly fail.

As per the court filing, the affected vehicles are the Hyundai IONIQ 5 and IONIQ 6, Kia EV6 and

Genesis GV60.

“Not only do Hyundai, Kia and Genesis continue to sell vehicles that are clearly incapable of performing as advertised, they also issued a software patch which substantially worsens charging rates and widens the gap between what they promised and what they delivered,” said Steve Berman, managing partner at Hagens Berman and the attorney leading the case.

The filed complaint cites one plaintiff’s experience in which fully charging his 2023 IONIQ 5 takes 20 hours, at a 5% charge rate per hour.

An email sent to InsideEVs said in March, Hyundai issued a technical

service bulletin to address the issue, but the subsequent software update pushed to affected vehicles does little to alleviate the problem.

According to the complaint, the advertised charging amperage of 48 amps drops to 28 amps if overheating occurs, leading to much longer charging sessions than advertised.

“This so-called fix does nothing to address the real problem, which is that these vehicles were not manufactured to reliably charge at a rate even close to 48 amps. It’s unacceptable for Hyundai to put a Band-Aid on such a serious defect impeding the vehicle’s stated performance,” Berman said.

The lawsuit seeks to recover just compensation for vehicle owners and lessors, bringing claims of violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, violation of the California Computer Data Access and Fraud Act, and violations of the applicable state consumer protection laws.

Technical and Financial Considerations Related to Your Paint Department

Based on a question I received from an Autobody News reader, I’m going to focus my next couple of articles on refinish-related items I think you should know or think about.

For instance, as ADAS continues to become more prevalent, some automakers are saying an approved paint line needs to be used, because some paint products can affect the way blind spot monitors work behind a bumper. Nissan North America, for example, put out just this type of requirement for its ARIYA model. Similarly, Toyota put out a bulletin (CRIB #201) noting select 2023 Toyota and Lexus models use 77 Gigahertz (GHz) radar sensors, which require special refinish precautions that may mean the bumper cover cannot even be repainted.

less than $30, while in others it’s $50 or higher.

So I think it’s really important to

it may make more sense to using invoicing versus the multiple method. Paint materials profitability also

Average Paint Labor Hours Per Estimate in 2022

out a lot of calibration or other ADAS work—which is a growing portion of the total repair cost—paint materials may now account for 8% or 9% of your total sales. Or if you repair a lot of high-end luxury vehicles, your parts bills may be higher, also reducing the percentage of sales for your paint materials.

So while I’m not saying you shouldn’t still benchmark paint materials as a percentage of sales, I think it’s also important to monitor the average number of refinish labor hours per repair order. As the state-by-state averages for paint labor hours shown on the table demonstrate, there’s certainly a range for this. (The averages shown are for all insurance claims, both DRP and non-DRP combined.)

If you look at that data, you’ll see North Dakota is the lowest at 7.5 hours, and Rhode Island is the highest at 11.1 hours. Nationally, the average is 9.7 hours. But again, your mix of work can affect your average refinish hours per job. Are you doing more heavier hits or smaller jobs? Train wrecks versus dealership shipping damage or rental car parking lot damage?

So researching OEM repair procedures from a paint perspective is becoming very, very critical.

Now let’s talk about calculating reimbursement for paint materials. There continues to be two methods in our industry. There’s the traditional multiplier method, which is a set dollar rate multiplied by the number of refinish labor hours on the estimate or repair plan. If a job has 10 hours of paint labor and your material rate is, say, $40, you’re going to get $400 for paint materials. That’s still the most widely used method, but that’s changing.

Our “Who Pays for What?” surveys over the past several years have found a growing percentage of shops using an invoicing system for paint materials—at least some of the time. There are several ways to produce an invoice for materials: a paint company’s mixing scale, Mitchell’s Refinish Materials Calculator, PMC Logic, etc.

Which method makes the most sense for your shop may depend on your market. Paint material rates vary across the country. In some markets, the multiplier rate may be

understand there’s not a one sizefits-all approach. But as we see more three- or four-stage paint, or more “limited use toners”—which tend to be expensive and not widely used, so generally not stocked in shops—

requires writing solid repair plans, particularly if you are using the multiplier method. In the past, the benchmark was paint materials should account for about 10% of sales. But if you’re a shop that sublets

That’s why another method to monitor this is by average paint labor hours per $1,000 in sales. The goal for that is typically about 2.7 paint labor hours for each $1,000 in sales. I recently ran a graph**** from our portal where we track the performance of many shops we consult with, and over the eight months, they were averaging between 2.03 and 2.16 average refinish hours per $1,000 in sales, and just under 11 refinish hours per repair order.

One other thing to keep in mind: If you’re doing a lot of smaller jobs without a lot of refinish labor hours, you may need to set a minimum you collect for paint materials per job. If a customer only needs a mirror replacement, you may only get an hour of refinish time, but that one hour times your multiplier rate may not adequately cover the cost of the refinish materials needed.

In my next article, I will discuss what’s actually included in “materials,” both in the past versus what we see today, with more and more shops moving to itemize things on estimates and repair plans, including stock parts.

In 2022, the average number of refinish labor hours per repair order varied by state, but on a national basis the average was about 9.7

Data from a group of Collision Advice shop clients show they were averaging just below 11 refinish labor hours per repair order, and about two refinish labor hours per $1,000 in sales

“Our ‘Who Pays for What?’ surveys over the past several years have found a growing percentage of shops using an invoicing system for paint materials.”

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400 Charges Filed Against NC Nissan Dealership Employees For Selling Damaged Cars

By Sebastien Bel CarScoops

A dozen employees at a Nissan dealership in Shelby, NC, are collectively facing more than 400 charges following a state department of transportation investigation into their used vehicle sales practices.

BMW Is I-CAR Sustaining Partner

looking into the process used by the dealership to rebuild the titles of salvage vehicles, but was expended after investigators found more evidence.

Sam Kazran, the dealership’s former general manager, faces 110 counts of failure to inspect vehicle prior to being offered for sale. However, he told WBTV that since he is “not a technician or license(d) to inspect motor vehicles,” the specific rule on which the charges are based does not apply to him.

crossover had issues the dealership refused to fix. WBTV reported its investigation found dealer employees sold totaled and flooded vehicles to unsuspecting customers. Martin Del Castillo, COO of Auto Gallery, which owns Nissan of Shelby, said accusations against its current and former employees are incorrect and will be dismissed.

I-CAR announced July 21 that BMW of North America joined I-CAR’s Sustaining Partner Program, designed for partners to demonstrate advocacy and provide funding for I-CAR’s work executed across the industry, which have lessened the need for price increases in an era of high inflation.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation is charging the employees with failure to inspect vehicles prior to being offered for sale, failure to deliver title, failure to disclose damage, improper use of temporary markers, making false statements about date of sale, and more. The investigation was launched after the agency started

Some customers said they’re pleased charges are being filed against dealer employees. Lucinda Ross told QC News she is “relieved, but I am still concerned about what happened to me and possibly other people.” She traded in a vehicle for a used 2021 Nissan Rogue Sport. She claimed six months after the trade, the dealership called her in to tell her she owed them money. She called her finance company, who told her she did not have to pay more money.

In addition, she claimed her

“I can tell you that we’ve gone through all of the records along with DMV and we have signatures in every one of the documents where it has been disclosed, when it was a flood vehicle or any type of vehicle, it was signed by the customer,” Castillo said.

On Aug. 15, the same day the charges were publicized by the North Carolina DOT, Nissan of Shebly’s new general manager,  George Ewing, told customers who had questions to reach out to him personally.

Customers who would prefer to reach out to authorities can do so through the DMV License and Theft Bureau by calling 828-7829640.

The program was also established to provide partners access to the complete array of I-CAR’s relevant technical education and service resources and benefits OEM partners with talent engagement and cost mitigation for collision repair facilities adhering to network training requirements.

Sustaining partners help fund I-CAR curriculum and student fees in career and technical schools, which have become I-CAR fixed training sites; that funding exceeds $3 million since 2018. Sustaining partners also fund all Industry Training Alliance training credits since the end of 2019 for individuals who train with curriculum from approved Industry Training Alliance partners, amounting to significant savings plus the elimination of redundant training for those individuals and businesses.

Source: I-CAR

Oct 31 - Nov 3

Booth #33036

average backlog was 4.7 weeks in Q2 2023, down from 5.8 weeks the prior quarter.

“Prior to the pandemic, the typical second quarter decline in backlog was about three days. This year, the drop was almost eight days, and the percentage of shops that could schedule a job in two weeks or less increased 14 percentage points to 27%,” Yoswick continued. “While that is the highest percentage of shops with a ‘normal’ backlog since October of 2021, it is still far from the prepandemic second quarter average of 72 percent. Nearly half of all shops (46%) were still scheduling work four or more weeks into the future. That is a significant decline from 60% in the first quarter of this year, but also far from the typical 7% with that length of backlog pre-pandemic.”

According to PartsTrader’s Chief Innovation Officer Greg Horn, “The overall Q2 2023 measure of median plus two standard deviations of delivery days for all part types was actually lower overall in Q2 2023 compared to Q2 2022; several statelevel increases align with the LOR results. States that saw increases in overall LOR in Enterprise’s data, such

as Arkansas, Florida, Georgia and Minnesota, also saw similar trends when comparing parts delivery days. Parts delays are still a significant factor in repair time and length of rental, and shops are making a great effort to schedule repairs for drivable vehicles to maximize shop throughput.”

It’s also important to consider the impact from the luxury segment, both ICE and EV.

Ryan Mandell, director of claims performance for Mitchell International, shared some insight: “Luxury make repair frequency increased nearly half a point to 13.28% of all repairable estimates in Q2 2023 compared to Q2 2022 (12.79%). On average, luxury vehicle estimates are written for nearly two additional labor hours (1.83) compared to common make vehicles, as well as an additional 1.3 replacement parts.”

Mandell also shared an important consideration about calibrations, which impact overall repair time: “The frequency of ADAS calibrations increased from 11.28% in Q2 2022 to 16.11% in Q2 2023.”

Drivable

For rentals associated with drivable repairs, LOR in Q2 2023 was 15.5 days, a 0.3-day increase. Alaska also had the highest drivable LOR in Q2 2023 at 18.8 days. Georgia (18.6),

Tennessee (17.8) and Louisiana (17.7) were the next-highest.

The lowest drivable LOR for was found in North Dakota (10.5), Hawaii (11.3), Iowa (11.6) and D.C. (11.8)

The highest year-over-year drivable increases were found in Minnesota (+1.6), Alaska (+1.5) and New Mexico (+1.2). Three other states (Washington, Arkansas and Utah) had increases of one day or more. A total of 39 states had drivable increases, with only three flat and eight states, plus D.C., showing drivable decreases.

Non-Drivable

LOR for non-drivable claims was 25.6, a 0.8-day decrease from Q2 2022.

Montana had the highest LOR at 36.0 days, a 3.1-day increase. Next highest was Alaska (35.4), followed by Colorado (32.2). All told, eight states had non-drivable LOR greater than 30 days, with six more states at 28 days or higher. Oregon (31.5) had the highest increase at 3.3 days.

Positively, only 13 states had non-drivable LOR increases, while 37 states plus D.C. had decreases. Compare this to Q2 2022, when every single state and D.C. had an increase of at least 1.2 days.

The lowest non-drivable LOR belonged to New York at 21.1 days, followed by D.C. (21.2), Iowa (21.6) and Nebraska (21.9).

Delaware had the highest decrease, down 3.4 days. Rhode Island (-3.2), D.C. (-2.5) and Indiana (-2.4) also saw significant decreases.

Yoswick also offered some insights from his latest survey regarding repair and supplement approval times: “From about 500 shops who responded to a CRASH Network survey in June, the average time those shops spend waiting for a supplement approval hit another record high in 2023, approaching times that are nearly double what they were pre-pandemic. Shops say they are waiting 4.9 days on average for an insurer to complete an in-shop inspection to approve repairs. Prior to 2020, that time was just 2.9 days. Wait times for a remote desk review—or ‘virtual inspections’—are averaging 4.3 days, almost two full days longer than the 2.4-day average reported in 2018.”

According to the CRASH Network results, shops cite approval times— along with some continued parts availability issues—as contributing to having more jobs at some stage in process, a factor that generally cuts into overall productivity.

Among the shops who shared data in CRASH Network’s June survey, the average shop had work in process (WIP) equal to 66% of their typical monthly volume. That’s down from the fourth quarter of 2022 when

shops’ WIP was averaging 78% of their monthly volume. But the average WIP is still higher than it was a year earlier when shops’ WIP averaged 59% of their typical monthly volume.

Total Loss

For rentals associated with total loss claims, LOR was 16.5 days, a 0.8-day decrease over Q2 2022.

While Alaska had the highest results at 25.3 days (+5.1 days), the next highest was Kentucky at 20.3 days, followed by Montana at 20.0 days.

D.C. had the lowest total loss LOR at 13.5 days, followed by Nebraska at 14.5 days.

Total Loss LOR varied greatly; excluding Alaska, the highest increases were Wyoming at +2.2 days and Maine at +2.1 days. Twenty states (less Aalaska) had an increase of 0.9days on average. However, 29 states plus D.C. had an average decrease of 1.6 days, with 17 states plus D.C. down an average of 2.2 days.

Summary

As the numbers show, the trend of

“predictable” seasonal LOR continues. The LOR decrease is positive, and many repairers are finding ways to anticipate and operate in the new normal. However, challenging market conditions remain, and overall LOR remains significantly higher than it was pre-pandemic.

Enterprise is committed to partnering with insurers, repairers and suppliers on all of the issues impacting repair times and LOR. Through foundational support provided by the Enterprise Holdings Foundation, Enterprise is spearheading the Collision Engineering Program, designed to attract and develop entry-level talent to fill essential roles within the collision repair industry.

Enterprise is thrilled to expand its longtime partnership with Ford Motor Company, through its philanthropic arm, the Ford Fund, to expand the program and help address this ongoing industry challenge. For more information, visit www. beacollisionengineer.com.

Source: Enterprise

Former, Chuck E. Cheese Turning Into Body Shop

By Brandon McGouirk WGXA News

The long vacant, former landmark that was Chuck E. Cheese in Macon, GA, has been given a second chance at life as a new business.

Gerber Collision Auto Body and Glass has been approved to move into the property, with potential to open up new jobs for 15 to 18 workers.

Wrecked cars will be reportedly hidden from the view of commuters behind an 8-foot privacy fence to keep from turning the spot into even more of an eyesore.

As far as noise is concerned, a representative of Gerber Collision assured county commissioners the evolution of the auto body repair industry has cut down on the “beating of metal” sounds that come to mind.

Salaries for employees of the new body shop are expected to make between $30,000 and $90,000 per year.

spend $790 million to construct three new manufacturing facilities in Tennessee, all three of which will be up and running by 2025.

One of its plants will be in Lawrenceburg, a small town located almost equidistant from Memphis and Chattanooga. The other two plants will be constructed within Ford’s Tennessee manufacturing campus, dubbed BlueOval City, northeast of Memphis.

The facility located in Lawrenceburg will specialize in building frames, and the other two at the campus will focus on battery enclosures, seats and other components specific to Ford vehicles.

For Ford, the localization of components will likely expedite build times and reduce costs. The American automaker said BlueOval City can produce half a million EVs annually once it’s up and running. As for Magna, its facilities can generate 1,300 jobs for the local area.

Tennessee has become a littleknown automotive powerhouse, as Ford and Magna join GM, Volkswagen, Nissan and others in the southeastern state.

Stacey Phillips — Solving the Tech Shortage

Body Shop Owners Discuss Mentorship Programs Initiated with Support from Toby Chess

This is the second part of a twopart series. Check out the August 2023 issue of Autobody News or autobodynews.com to read about more shops in the program.

Toby Chess recalls planning a collision repair training day for about 80 high school students in Hawthorne, CA, 25 years ago. Since then, he’s had a passion for training young people and bringing them into the collision industry.

About two years ago, he was visiting a body shop and a newer employee was asked by his supervisor to sweep floors and do menial tasks.

“I asked his supervisor why he didn’t buy him some tools so he could feel part of the team,” said Chess, who ultimately bought tools for the budding technician. “The expression on his face was unbelievable.”

Fast forward to the present and Chess said shops are in the same predicament as they were when it comes to hiring and retaining staff.

“We all need technicians,” said Chess. “We’ve been talking about that for years but what are shops doing about it?”

Chess stresses the importance of keeping young people engaged and setting a career path for them.

“It’s critical to find ways to motivate these young people and keep them engaged or they won’t stay,” said Chess, who embarked on a project to encourage independent shop owners to initiate mentorship programs.

Chess supplies a set of tools to the helper and asks shop owners to provide toolboxes. He also shares best practices documents he created that the mentor and mentee can follow to help standardize the repair and can be used in conjunction with OEM repair procedures and proper personal protective equipment. These include repair planning, corrosion protection, bumper repair, vehicle measuring and glue tab dent repair.

“We have to take steps to give back to the industry and address the technician shortage,” said Chess. “Otherwise, nothing will change.”

As a long-term instructor with I-CAR for more than 25 years, Chess reached out to the organization about the program. I-CAR is offering support to his endeavors and working with him to amplify his efforts.

“I-CAR is proud to support the efforts of leaders in our industry, like Toby, who are making strides to foster a learning culture and growth

mindset in our shops—particularly with new technicians,” said Dara Goroff, I-CAR’s vice president of planning and industry talent programming. “It’s an exciting time to be a professional in collision repair and we want to highlight the purpose new technicians find within it when they’re presented with opportunities that contribute to a complete, safe and quality repair for the safety of their customers.”

Six shops in Southern California shared information about the support Chess has provided with their mentorship programs, supplying tools to mentees and training. Here is what the second three shop owners had to say.

European Motor Car Works

In the 1970s, Kye Yeung enrolled in an auto body and paint course at the local community college to repair his car and didn’t realize it would become a lifelong passion. He opened European Motor Car Works in Costa Mesa, CA, in 1975 when he was 20, just out of college.

involved in organizations such as the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) and the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS). He has been part of both organizations for more 15 years.

Yeung met Chess and wellrespected shop owner March Taylor when they visited his facility in 2005.

When Taylor passed away, Chess asked if Yeung would like to take his place on the CIC Technical Committee.

“We went on to spearhead the SCRS Educational Committee and founded the Kool Tools of SEMA videos and presentations,” said Yeung. “We are lifelong friends and I have the greatest respect for him.”

Jim & Jack’s Collision Center

Jim & Jack’s Collision Center in El Segundo, CA, was established in 1967. Many of the employees at the family-owned and operated facility have been with the company for more than 15 years.

he said.

Kizirian has known Chess for 25 years.

“There isn’t anyone I have met who is so passionate about the industry and to help in any way possible,” said Kizirian. “Toby will always go the extra mile to help a friend or technician in need and I’m extremely fortunate to know him as a colleague and a friend!”

Marina Auto Body

Tom Williamson, owner of Marina Auto Body, operates three locations, Marina Del Rey, Inglewood and Huntington Beach, CA. The company has 49 employees and is a Lexus Authorized Collision Center as well as the collision center for Toyota of Huntington Beach and Lexus of Westminster.

He currently has 25 employees, many of whom are family members who have been with the company for more than 20 years; the longest is 39 years. These include his daughters Nichole and Jennifer, his son-in-law Mike Hubbard and grandson Connor Many of other employees have relatives who also work at the shop.

Yeung has put many processes in place to help hire and retain technicians. These include maintaining a healthy work environment, giving employee bonuses for referrals, offering top pay and the necessary tooling to perform tasks, and providing OEM training to allow constant growth.

“We keep them interested by diversifying what they do day-to-day,” said Yeung. “Having them work in different departments allows us to gauge where they are most proficient.”

He stresses the importance of the industry working together to address the technician shortage and getting

Richie Kizirian’s uncles, Jim and Jack, gave him opportunity to run the business in 2003 and implement innovative ideas.

“Customer service is our No. 1 priority,” said Kizirian. “We have serviced the South Bay communities for over 56 years and have become a household name to our clientele.”

The company has 18 OEM certifications and prides itself on having friendly management who ensure everyone feels like family.

Kizirian has taken many steps to hire and retain technicians. These include providing a clean work environment, investing in tools and OEM certifications, paying above market rate to ensure staff has financial stability and providing benefits such as paid vacations, health insurance and a 401K.

Kizirian said it is critical the industry supports local trade schools.

“Quality technicians are depleting and providing support to new talent is the only way to combat the shortage,”

Williamson acknowledges the challenge and expense of hiring, training and retaining technicians.

“We all know the industry is aging out,” he said. “The shortage of skilled labor has had a negative impact on all trades.”

To help meet the challenge, Williamson said he offers a good wage, benefits, clean, well-equipped shops and training.

He hired a recent tech, Brandon Candelaria, after meeting him at a local car show. The two discussed their mutual interest in Pontiacs and Williamson learned Candelaria was taking auto body classes at a community college. He asked him to come and work at Marina Auto Body and offered to compensate Candelaria for learning and supply him with tools as he continued to show growth.

“He is a future super star of the industry,” said Williamson.

Williamson is appreciative of the tools Chess supplied Candelaria. Throughout their long friendship, Williamson said Chess has always been available to share training and repair techniques.

“He has been supportive with trainees by supplying basic hand tools, training and encouragement for the trainee,” he said.

Pictured, left to right, are Kye Yeung, Connor Kelly and Mike Hubbard of European Motor Car Works.

Richie Kizirian, center, is pictured with Henry Mejia, left, and his son, Fernando, right, who joined Jim & Jack’s Collision Center in 2022 and is being mentored by his father to become a technician.

Brandon Candelaria, left, and Cyndi Osthus, right, Marina Auto Body manager.

WHERE CONNECTIONS ARE BUILT

Cloninger Automotive Group in NC Signs Licensing Agreement With DCR Systems

DCR Systems, LLC, announced Aug. 2 that Cloninger Automotive Group based in Salisbury, NC, signed an area development licensing agreement with the company. The agreement provides access to DCR Systems’ full turnkey operating model.

“We appreciate Cloninger’s belief and trust in the DCR process and applaud their courage to adapt and transition from a traditional operation to lean-focused operation,” said Michael Giarrizzo, president and CEO of DCR Systems. “They have invested in a beautiful facility and a new way of doing things, and we are thrilled to partner with them on this venture.”

“We are so pleased to work with the Cloninger team,” added Cheryl Boswell, DCR Systems’ corporate CFO and managing partner. “Their culture of taking care of their customers and repairing vehicles the right way matches DCR’s culture. It is not easy to make change, but the Cloninger team has embraced DCR’s process and the results are showing.”

Cloninger Automotive Group is owned by Larry Cloninger and includes a collision repair facility in Salisbury and four dealerships. They include Cloninger Toyota in Salisbury, Ford dealerships in Salisbury, Hickory and Morganton, NC, and Florence Toyota in Florence, SC. The 38-yearold company has a total of 400 employees; 23 work in the body shop.

The collision repair facility operated on the dealership property in Salisbury since 1996. To help meet Ford’s and Toyota’s manufacturing requirements, the company decided to relocate the body shop to a 21,000-square-foot facility about a quarter mile away.

They visited several top-performing body shop models, including Mike Johnson’s Hickory Toyota certified collision center, about 50 miles away and operated by DCR Systems.

“Their collision center operates in an approximately 12,000-squarefoot space and they were doing more business than we were doing in our 18,000-square-foot space,” said Brad Tyson, president of Cloninger Automotive Group. “It was obvious that they were doing something from an efficiency standpoint that we were not.”

Soon after, Tyson met Giarrizzo and learned about the company’s two business models. DCR Systems can either operate a body shop on behalf of a dealership or the dealership can sign up for the DCR Systems turnkey licensing model, which includes business direction, support, training and accountability.

After deciding to move forward with the licensing model, DCR Systems

helped implement DCR’s process in the Cloninger facility. The process includes establishing tools to track and monitor daily production and meet set targets.

“They were very hands-on with the way we laid out our shop, what tools we needed to buy and where we needed to place everything,” said Tyson.

“Our team understands the responsibility of ensuring the vehicle is repaired accurately regardless of the time it takes to do it right,” said Tyson. “At the same time, we want to get the customer’s vehicle fixed as quickly and as efficiently as possible.”

After implementing the DCR Systems model, he said, “Everybody is so happy.”

training from DCR Systems.

“We often send our people to Mike Johnson’s collision center in Hickory and they’ll send their people over to watch us work, too,” he said. “We train and learn side by side.”

Since the changes, Tyson has found production has increased with fewer people. “We averaged producing 68 cars and increased to 102 over the first 90 days,” Tyson said, adding they are continuing to increase efficiencies

Using the accounting system provided by DCR Systems, Cloninger has set up a more effective billing process so customers and insurers are provided with costs.

“This cuts down on our supplements, which makes us more productive,” he said. “We can get more done because we’re not having to do it multiple times.”

In addition, Tyson said DCR Systems has helped with their production quality. “By using their process, a safer vehicle is on the road and customers are happy,” he said.

Previously, technicians brought their tools to work. Now, Cloninger supplies what is necessary to do the job, which has helped with efficiency.

“They are very much in tune with understanding the challenges setting up processes—even the way we pay our staff—and have been able to help us through these changes,” said Tyson. “I’m confident that I wouldn’t have been able to make the changes to their pay structure without the help of Michael Giarrizzo and DCR Systems.”

Initially, Tyson was concerned because some employees left the company due to the change in pay structure. In hindsight, he found the change resulted in building a team of employees.

“The DCR Systems’ model is all about the team concept,” he said.

For example, if disassembly is backed up, a painter might come in to assist; if paint is backed up, a body man might help buff; and if the detail department is busy, the parts manager will wash the car.

Part of DCR Systems’ process involves the staff working together to identify the damage up front and create a repair plan.

“Everybody’s involved with the car the first day it’s in the shop and the whole time it’s there,” said Tyson.

Communication is key. This includes letting guests know the expected repair time, encouraging them to communicate with their insurance company and providing a timeframe for delivery.

“What is amazing to me is the people that I thought would struggle the most with this transition seem to be enjoying it the most,” he said.

In addition to DCR Systems sending their team to the shop for support, Cloninger employees receive cross-

For more information about the DCR Systems Licensing Model, visit www.dcrsystems.com/dcr-systemsbusiness-model/in-house-model/ or email Michael Giarrizzo at mgiarrizzo@ dcrsystems.net.

Source: DCR Systems

Tesla Driver Who Crashed Into Police Car Warned by Autopilot 150 Times: Report

By Simon Alvarez Teslarati

On Feb. 27, 2021, a 2019 Tesla Model X reportedly on Autopilot crashed into a police vehicle at 54 mph. Five police offers who were conducting a routine traffic stop were injured, as was the driver who had been pulled over by the police. Reports indicated the driver of the Model X was intoxicated at the time of the incident.

The injured police officers filed a lawsuit against Tesla, alleging the company has not done enough to address issues with its Autopilot driver-assist system, seeking damages between $1 million to $20 million for injuries and permanent disabilities.

An investigation by The Wall Street Journal retrieved footage from the 2019 Model X, showing the driver of the all-electric SUV received 150 warnings from Autopilot over a 34-minute time span prior to the crash, advising

the driver to take control of the vehicle.

The 2019 Model X is not equipped with an in-cabin camera, so the vehicle’s Autopilot driver monitoring system largely relied on whether torque could be detected on the steering wheel. Considering the 150 warnings that the driver received, it would appear the driver was able to apply just enough torque to the steering wheel to keep Autopilot active.

The allegedly intoxicated driver did eventually heed Autopilot’s advice after he received the 150th warning from the vehicle. At this point, however, the Tesla was only 2.5 seconds and 37 yards from the parked police vehicle. The WSJ noted Autopilot tried to stop the Model X, but the system seemed to have disengaged with the expectation the driver would take over.

Tesla has maintained the fault lies in the driver.

Car Burns Down

her own car was getting serviced. She told News4Jax the luxury electric sedan wasn’t even charging when it burst into flames, as she doesn’t own a home charging unit.

“It was parked in the garage, about 22 hours and then it caught fire. I was at work. About 8:30 and my husband heard a hiss and a pop, and he went into the garage full of smoke. It engulfed in flames and exploded,” Ruotolo said.

Footage shared by News4Jax showed the garage covered in flames, while photos showed the aftermath of the fire, including the completely destroyed vehicle, the devastated garage and the damage caused to the rest of the house, now filled with soot.

Ruotolo estimated the damages to her home to be well over $1 million dollars but said the most important thing is her family is safe. Her husband was right on the next side of the wall when the fire started, but he emerged unscathed, as did the family dog.

St. Johns County Fire Rescue is still

investigating the exact cause of the fire and urged EV owners be aware of the potential risks associated with lithium-ion batteries.

Mercedes-Benz issued the following statement regarding the incident, via CarScoops: “Any time we receive a report of such an incident, we take the matter very seriously. In this case, we will work with appropriate officials and experts to immediately seek to determine the root cause so that appropriate next steps can be taken. Please understand that as our investigation is ongoing, we are not in a position to comment further at this time.”

The Mercedes-Benz EQE was subject to a recall issued in May for a high-voltage battery software error. The high-voltage battery monitoring system does not alert the driver of a battery malfunction, which may increase the risk of an injury. Mercedes said its dealers would update the battery management system software, free of charge.

It’s not clear whether the EQE loaner that burned in Florida was part of the recall, but the chances are very slim considering only two EQE 350+ sedans were recalled for this issue.

Crash Champions on Aug. 7 announced it has expanded its Florida footprint with the successful acquisition of Ideal Auto Collision.

The acquisition officially closed Aug. 4, with operations transitioning to Crash Champions effective immediately. Crash Champions now operates more than 50 locations across Florida and a nationwide network of more than 600 high-quality repair centers in 36 states and Washington D.C.

“This is an important step forward in the steady, strategic growth of the Crash Champions brand,” said Matt Ebert, founder and CEO of Crash Champions. “We’re focused on identifying and acquiring like-minded organizations committed to operational excellence, and connecting with a tremendous organization like Ideal Auto Collision, with its reputation and legacy of superior service, is a great addition to our Florida

network. We’re thrilled to welcome this outstanding team to Crash Champions.”

Ideal Auto Collision has served the Hollywood, FL, community for more than four decades and operates a large repair and refinish production space of more than 17,500 square feet.

“After more than 40 years as one of the largest family-owned collision repair centers in South Florida, we are certainly proud of the mark Ideal Auto Collision has made on the industry and grateful to our customers for their trust in our team,” said Mike Pierro, owner of Ideal Auto Collision. “As we take the next step in our journey, we couldn’t be prouder to join a likeminded organization like Crash Champions, which shares the same passion for operational excellence, investing in team members and connecting with local communities.”

Source: Crash Champions

Digital Innovations for the Mixing Room

Solutions recently launched for the PPG LINQ™ digital ecosystem are leading collision centers into a new era of refinish paint mixing that can significantly spark gains in key-to-key productivity. The PPG LINQ digital ecosystem is comprised of interconnected hardware, software and innovative services, using a cloud-based platform.

PPG VisualizID Software

The first of its kind in the industry, this advanced software enables technicians to compare 3D renderings of the retrieved colors and compare multiple “virtual sprayouts” in a matter of minutes. A sprayout can be compared from flash, flop or face angles, rotated in any direction and compared from “blend” and “edge” views.

Carl Garcia, owner of Carl’s Collision Center, Fall River, Massachusetts, is a huge fan of PPG LINQ digital tools, particularly since his workforce is primarily younger. “These kids today grew up with computers, with smartphones—it’s a totally different mentality. So we need to adapt to the changing workforce.”

PPG DIGIMATCHTM Spectrophotometer

This small spectrophotometer takes readings of a vehicle’s color from six imaging angles as well as six reflective angles to provide color and texture information—including effect pigment particle size.

The color reading is seamlessly loaded into PPG retrieval software to find color formulations providing the best match. The spectrophotometer’s readings work in concert with another PPG innovation to further enhance the ability to determine the best match—PPG VISUALIZID™ software.

“In the old days, we would have to do our own sprayouts to test the colors,” explains Garcia. “It would take us a minimum of 15 minutes for each car, sometimes over an hour. So instead of having to do sprayout cards, we are able to do a virtual sprayout.” Once satisfied with the match, the technician hits a button and sends the formula to another PPG innovation that Garcia’s operation has incorporated into their process—the PPG MOONWALK ® system.

PPG MoonWalk Mixing System

This award-winning, automated paint mixing system is designed for use with the PPG ENVIROBASE® High Performance refinish system. “This is a great advantage for us,” says Garcia. “It’s 100% accurate. No waste. And it’s increased our efficiency by at least 15%.”

Echoing praise of automated mixing is Frank McClosky, owner of Frank’s Collision Center, operating six locations in the Houston, Texas, area. “We’re getting a highly accurate mix and color matches every time. This system is so precise, down to the hundredths of a gram. And we haven’t over-poured any product yet.”

For more information on the PPG LINQ digital ecosystem and MoonWalk automated mixing system, contact your local PPG distributor or PPG sales representative.

How new technologies from PPG are proving to save time, reduce waste and enhance color-matching accuracy.

Wake Tech Announces Recipients of

Five 2023 Wake County, NC, high school graduates will train to become skilled automotive technicians, thanks to scholarships from the Advance Auto Parts Foundation.

Wake Tech Community College has announced the recipients of the Advance Auto Parts Foundation Future Technicians Scholarships, which aim to increase diversity in the college’s automotive degree programs and address the nationwide shortage of technicians. The students will enroll in either automotive systems technology or collision repair and refinishing, both offered at the Hendrick Center for Automotive Excellence.

This year’s recipients are:

Myla Horton, Knightdale High School

Nomination excerpt: “Myla excelled in her Career and Technical Education classes, and her performance was outstanding based on her grades, class participation and attendance.”

Carson Allmon, East Wake High School

Nomination excerpt: “Carson is a fine young man who has demonstrated a passion for the industry in his

coursework (Foundations, Auto I and II) and during visits to the Hendrick Center at Wake Tech. He is polite, well-mannered, consistent and teamoriented and is a strong leader and an excellent role model.”

Leonardo Cardoso, East Wake High School

Nomination excerpt: “Leo has an excellent skill set (including being bilingual), a willingness to learn, has a strong character and leadership

Auto Parts Foundation Scholarships

skills and has a strong commitment to automotive training and to school in general. Leo has shown commitment to the automotive pathway by successfully completing Foundations of Auto, Auto I, Auto II and Auto III.”

Amy Coronilla Vazquez, Green Level High School

Nomination excerpt: “Amy is an extremely deserving student. She works hard and constantly shies away from acknowledgement or

recognition, and yet she deserves so much of it. While attending high school, she helps support her family by working on weekends. She dreams of being an automotive technician and has worked hard to make this dream a reality.”

Daniel Fobert, South Garner High School

Nomination excerpt: “Daniel is a great candidate for your scholarship because, growing up, he lived with his uncle, a mechanic, and fostered an early love for the profession. Whenever the opportunity presented itself, Daniel volunteered to work at his uncle’s shop. As a result, Daniel has experience working on cars, ATVs and the like. This scholarship will have a profound impact on his future trajectory.”

The five scholarship recipients were nominated by their high school guidance counselors and selected by Wake Tech earlier this year. They each receive a $5,000 unrestricted scholarship to offset educational and living expenses and a one-time stipend of $600 for tools to complete their studies.

“Automotive technicians are in high demand across the country, and we want to do our part to inspire students

Pictured, left to right, are scholarship recipients Leonardo Cardosa, Myla Horton, Daniel Fobert and Amy Coronilla Vazquez.

from all backgrounds to explore careers in the field,” said Elisabeth Eisleben, president of the Advance Auto Parts Foundation. “As part of our gift to Wake Tech, we intentionally included student scholarships, knowing that, when we reduce the financial burden students face, they can focus on completing their studies and finding gainful employment in this important industry.”

The Advance Auto Parts Foundation will support 25 Wake Tech automotive students over five years with the goal of increasing diversity among automotive technicians in the field. Advance Auto Parts Foundation’s support for the programs totals $200,000, plus an additional $50,000 from Advance Auto Parts that outfitted DieHard tool rooms in the Hendrick Center.

“Support from the Advance Auto Parts Foundation enables

grateful to the Advance Auto Parts Foundation for its partnership in awarding the scholarships and within the larger programs that our new Hendrick Center supports.”

The $42 million, 100,000-squarefoot Hendrick Center for Automotive Excellence opened in 2021 on the Scott Northern Wake Campus. It has allowed Wake Tech to triple the number of students in automotive systems technology while adding a new program in collision repair and refinishing.

The Advance Auto Parts Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Advance Auto Parts Inc., a leading automotive aftermarket parts provider that serves both professional installers and doit-yourself customers. Advance Auto Parts is the only Fortune 500 company headquartered in Raleigh, NC.

For more information about Advance Auto Parts Foundation’s

Increases At the Pump Slow, More Relief Could Be on the Way

By Andrew Gross AAA

The national average for a gallon of gas has continued its summer U-turn, but price increases have slowed and more relief could be on the way.

The national average increased by 11 cents since July 27 to $3.82 as of Aug. 3. Pump prices have primarily risen due to the price of oil, which was near $80 per barrel at the end of July, but has since softened recently.

“Last month’s extreme heat played a role in the recent spike in gas prices due to some refineries pulling back, but now

over the same week. Meanwhile, total domestic gasoline stocks increased by 1.5 million bbl to 219.1 million bbl. Lower gas demand amid increasing supply will likely help to slow price increases in the days ahead.

The Aug. 3 national average of $3.82 is 29 cents more than a month ago and 34 cents less than a year ago.

Since July 27, these 10 states have seen the largest increases in their averages:  Nebraska (+25 cents), Iowa (+23 cents), Minnesota (+21 cents), Florida (+19 cents), Missouri (+18 cents), North Dakota (+18 cents), Oklahoma (+17 cents), South Dakota (+17 cents), New

New Study Shows ‘Uncertain Road Ahead’ For Auto Insurance Due To Inflation, Other Concerns

A

new study,

“Auto

Insurance:

The Uncertain Road Ahead,” released July 19 by the American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA), revealed insurance claims inflation has continued to rise faster than the underlying consumer price index (CPI), far outpacing increases in auto insurance premiums.

The combination of rapidly increasing overall economic inflation and claims inflation has driven up auto insurance losses and combined ratios.

“In addition to inflation trends, the private passenger auto insurance sector is also experiencing several other trends such as increased frequency and severity of claims cost, riskier driving behavior by the public, cost increases for medical and hospital services, and outsized growth in lawsuit verdicts and legal system abuses, that are negatively impacting and pressuring the industry with increased losses,” said Passmore , department vice president for APCIA and coauthor of the paper.

Key Data Findings

APCIA found that losses on underwriting in 2022 for private U.S. property casualty insurers were $25.6 billion, more than double the losses in 2021 and the worst result since 2011.

Private passenger auto insurance experienced the highest direct loss ratio among major lines of business at 80.2% (excluding loss adjustment expenses) in 2022, which represented an increase of 12.2 points from 2021 and 24.1 points from the low-water mark of pandemic-impacted 2020.

U.S. private passenger vehicle damage claim severity (i.e., the average cost per claim for property damage liability and collision) increased nearly 50% from 2018 to 2022, impacted by rising auto repair and labor costs, inflation and theft rates, among other things. Over the

Property casualty insurers’ premiums for personal auto increased just 6% for the year, far below the 24% rate of escalating losses.

accelerating from May’s 4.5% increase. It was the sixth-straight monthly increase.

“All indicators suggest elevated auto repair and replacement costs will stretch well into 2023 and potentially beyond,” said Passmore. “Medical inflation is also accelerating. Although insurers continue to monitor the situation closely, as claim costs continue to rise, insurers may be forced to pass these loss costs along to policyholders.

The Motor Vehicle Insurance

“Given the trends, insurers are strongly encouraging drivers to minimize their risk by avoiding risky driving behaviors that may result in a loss,” Passmore continued. “Insurers are also advocating for better infrastructure, including reliable supply chains for critical auto parts and safer roads, which should result in fewer accidents

“Insurers are also advocating for better infrastructure, including reliable supply chains for critical auto parts and safer roads, which should result in fewer accidents and lower claims costs that help keep insurance premiums affordable for consumers.”

ROBERT PASSMORE DEPARTMENT VICE PRESIDENT FOR APCIA

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Autobody News Remembers Friend and Writer Ed Attanasio

The team at Autobody News was heartbroken to learn our longtime writer and friend Ed Attanasio passed away July 18, 2023.

Barbara Davies, co-owner and CEO “I’ve known Ed since 2009. Ed met our publisher, Jeremy Hayhurst , at an industry event in 2009, and he became one of our regular writers right after that. He became one of our family.

“He [loved] all the people in this industry. It didn’t matter if he was interviewing the CEO of a major manufacturing company or the tech intern at a body shop. He gave everyone the same level of respect and importance, which came through in all his articles. The industry has lost someone very special that touched many lives.

“Ed was one of the kindest people I’ve ever met. He would always put the spotlight on others and never himself. He had a heart of gold.

were both invited to a day-long event hosted by a vendor in the industry. Rather than ‘talking shop,’ he was quick to enthusiastically discuss other interests we shared: movies, art, baseball. I ended up feeling like we knew a lot about each other in a short period of time—and I know many others had a similar experience with Ed.

“That’s why I thought his ‘Day Job/Night Job’ series for Autobody News was such a perfect fit for him, because while he talked to people

laughing and joking with him.

“Ed, although you are gone from my sight, you will forever occupy a special place in my heart. You will be missed. Rest in peace, Ed.”

Norm Morano, regional sales manager

“Ed was a bona fide renaissance man with so many talents and interests that ran the spectrum—from writing, to art, to baseball, to people, to living. Such a sweet man with a beautiful soul. He’ll be missed.”

Ed wrote for our publication since 2009, and over the years he covered a wide range of industry topics while always keeping a keen eye for the stories that highlighted the human element, particularly in his long-running Day Job/Night Job series.

Ed was a lot more than a journalist, however. He was a baseball historian, stand-up comedian and an animal lover, which he combined with one of his other many interests—art—to create the Pandemic Pet Project. Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ed drew hundreds of people’s pets as sketches on Post-It notes, asking in return only a donation to a local animal shelter. His favorite rescue was Muttville in San Francisco, which specializes in finding homes for senior dogs.

Ed’s team members at Autobody News shared their memories.

“Ed had been to most of the ball parks in the U.S., but had never been to Petco Park in San Diego. I invited him to come down from San Francisco a few years ago for a game at Petco and he was like a kid in a candy store! His passion for baseball came through just as strongly as his passion for our industry.”

Stacey Phillips, columnist “I met Ed when I first started working at Autobody News in 2014. Ed was always a phone call away when I had a question about the industry or an article. When I started working from home and writing freelance articles, Ed was a tremendous support. I always admired how he enjoyed learning about other people and sharing their stories.

“Like everyone who knew him, I will miss Ed and appreciate how he always brought a smile to the faces of those around him. My deepest condolences to his family and friends.”

John Yoswick, columnist “I met Ed sometime in the 1990s when we were each writing for different collision industry publications and

about their work in the industry, he found ways to also get to know so much more about interesting aspects of their lives.

“While I probably crossed paths with Ed at industry events only once or twice a year in the 25+ years after we met, I’d more often open my email to find a recommendation for a documentary he’d just seen that he thought I’d like—and asking me for my latest finds.”

Joe Momber, regional sales manager “Ed was a gentleman with a soft soul and a huge heart. He spoke kind words and shared a smile that lit up any room or conference hall. I am extremely saddened and will miss

Abby Andrews, editor

“I learned a lot about the industry through editing Ed’s articles. He had a real knack for finding the little details that could make a topic go from ho-hum to interesting.

“When Ed started the Pandemic Pet Project in 2020, I sent him a picture of my dog, Pepper. The PostIt note sketch he sent back captured Pepper so perfectly---he was my ‘grumpy old man’ by that point. I lost Pepper to cancer in 2021. Out of a million pictures I had taken of him over the years, that sketch is one of the best.”

Our deepest condolences go out to Ed’s family and friends.

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800-542-8121

954-964-8300

Dept Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-5; Sun 9-5 hernandeze@autonation�com

Classic Honda

Orlando

888-893-4984

407-521-1115

Dept Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 8-4 parts@classichonda com

Headquarter Honda

Clermont

800-497-2294

407-395-7374

Dept Hours: M-F 8-7; Sat 8-5 pepe guevara@headquarterhonda com

ACURA

FLORIDA

Acura of Orange Park

Jacksonville

888-941-7278

904-777-1008

Dept� Hours: M-F 7-8; Sat 7-5; Sun 9-3 msweeney@acuraoforangepark com

Duval Acura

Jacksonville

800-352-2872

904-725-1149

Dept Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 8-5

Cecil adams@duvalacura com

Hendrick Honda

Pompano Beach

Pompano Beach

954-425-8244

Dept Hours: M-Fri 7-6; Sat 7-5; gerardbruno@hendrickauto com

Holler Honda Orlando

407-442-1938

Dept Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 7-4 parts@hollerhonda com

Rick Case Honda

Davie

877-544-2249

Dept Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7:30-4 robbutton@rickcase com

South Motors Honda Miami

888-418-3513

305-256-2240

Dept Hours: M-F 8-7 mfranceschi@southhonda com

Carey Paul Honda

Snellville

770-985-1444

Dept Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-6 gperkins@careypaul com

Ed Voyles Honda

Marietta

800-334-3719

770-933-5870 Direct

Dept Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-6 hondaparts@edvoyles com

FLORIDA

Rick Case Acura Fort Lauderdale

800-876-1150

954-377-7688

Dept Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5 rubenramos@rickcase com

Jackson Acura Roswell

877-622-2871

678-259-9500

Dept Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 7:30-6 kmcmillan@jacksonacura com

Gerald Jones Honda Augusta

800-733-2210

706-228-7040

Dept Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5 tdunn@geraldjoneshonda com

Honda Mall of Georgia

Buford/Gwinnett

678-318-3155

Dept Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-5 cdunlap@penskeautomotive com

Milton Martin Honda

Gainesville

770-534-0086

678-989-5473

Dept Hours: M-F 7:30-6 robertthomas@mmhonda com

Honda of Newnan Newnan

678-423-8183

Dept Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 7-4 samuel trapani@henrickauto com

Nalley Honda Union City

866-362-8034

770-306-4646

Dept Hours: M-F 7:30-7; Sat 8-5 hondawp@nalleycars com

MISSISSIPPI

Patty Peck Honda

Ridgeland

800-748-8676

601-957-3400

Dept Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5 pmartin@pattypeckhonda com

Nalley Acura Marietta

800-899-7278

770-422-3138

Dept Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-5 byoung@nalleycars com

Flow Acura

Winston-Salem

800-489-3534

336-761-3682

Dept Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-1 www flowacura com

Apple Tree Honda

Asheville

800-476-9411

828-684-4400

Dept Hours: M-F 8-5; Sat 8-4 appletreeparts@hotmail com

McKenney-Salinas Honda Gastonia

888-703-7109

704-824-8844 x 624

Dept Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30 parts@mshonda com

Vann York Automall High Point

336-841-6200

Dept Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-3

Fred Anderson Honda Greenville

864-234-6481

Dept Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5 hgrparts@anderson-auto net

Piedmont Honda Anderson

800-849-5057

864-375-2082

Dept Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5 swhite@piedmontcars com

Karen Radley Acura Woodbridge 800-355-2818

703-550-0205

Dept Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30; Sat 8-3 coreythompson@radleyautogroup com

GEORGIA

SO.

TENNESSEE VIRGINIA

Airport Honda Alcoa

800-264-4721

865-970-7792

Dept Hours: M-F 7:30-6:30; Sat 7:30-5 parts@airporthonda com

AutoNation Honda

West Knoxville Knoxville

800-824-1301

865-218-5461

Dept Hours: M-F 7:30-6 rossd1@autonation com

Wolfchase Honda

Bartlett

800-982-7290

901-255-3780

Dept Hours: M-F 7-7 ekerr@wolfchasehonda com

Checkered Flag Honda Norfolk

800-277-2122

757-687-3453

Dept Hours: M-Sat 7:30-6 honda checkeredflag com

Hall Honda Virginia Beach

800-482-9606

757-431-4329

Dept Hours: M-F 8-7; Sat 8-5 fox@hallauto com

Valley Honda Staunton

800-277-0598

540-213-9016

Dept Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30; Sat 9-5 bwimer@myvalleyhonda com

West Broad Honda Richmond

800-446-0160

804-672-8811

Dept Hours: M-Fri 7:30-6:30; Sat 8-5 wbhonda@aol com

VIRGINIA

Honda and Acura Genuine Parts is an online ordering portal for repair facilities to order parts directly from the Honda/Acura Dealer(s) of their choice.

U.S. House Committee Holds Hearing on Federal Right To Repair Bills

The U.S. House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet on July 18 held a hearing on proposed bills in Congress regarding right to repair issues: the Save Money on Auto Repair Transportation (SMART) Act, Right to Equitable and Professional Auto Industry Repair (REPAIR) Act and Fair Repair Act.

Led by U.S. Rep. Darrel Issa, R-CA, chairman of the subcommittee and lead co-sponsor of the SMART Act, which would expand consumer access to reliable auto parts for vehicle repair, members heard from witnesses about the economic impact of expanded repair options.

“Design patents, historically, basically prevent your competitor from making a deceptively similar product,” Issa said. “So much of the discussion today is…on protection that is granted by design patents. Much of what we are looking at doing is to modify, enhance or define design patents in a way in which they do not exclude six or seven or eight years later that faded headlight that can no longer be polished to be usable from costing you $1,500 to $2,500 each in order to replace something that used to be available at the auto parts store for about six bucks.”

Among those testifying at the hearing was Aaron Perzanowski, law professor at the University of Michigan and author of a white paper on the importance of right to repair through the REPAIR Act, which would provide consumers with access to their vehicle data.

In his testimony, Perzanowski said, “Repair is as old as humanity. Repair has always kept pace. But today, manufacturers are employing a range of strategies that restrict repair from their hardware and software design choices to clamp down on secondary markets.”

U.S. Rep. Laurel Lee, R-FL, cosponsor of the SMART Act, asked Perzanowski what effect he sees passage might have on insurance rates for consumers.

“If we see passage of the SMART Act, we can anticipate significant reductions in the expenses associated with auto collision repairs,” Perzanowski said. “Estimates are that design patents on collision parts are responsible for about $1.5 billion in additional expenditures. We see price premiums on OEM parts, over third [party] parts, often reaching into the 40% range…Do consumers know when they buy that vehicle that the repairs are going to be that expensive? I think in most cases, they don’t. And so I think the SMART

Act is a very targeted solution to this problem.”

Lee asked if Perzanowski thought passage of the SMART Act will make it easier for independent repairers to enter the market.

“In an environment where consumers are facing lower costs for repairs and fewer vehicles are being totaled…One of the byproducts here of the high prices of these replacement parts is more and more vehicles are being totaled,” Perzanowski said. “So, we would see more opportunity for competition in those market places. And generally…rely on this principle that the more competition we see, the lower prices are going to be, and the higher quality is going to be, and so I think that’s beneficial.”

Also testifying was Paul Roberts, founder of SecuRepairs. org and founder and editor in chief of the Security Ledger. In his testimony he stated, “Federal right to repair legislation like the REPAIR Act and the Fair Repair Act will greatly improve the quality of life for consumers, families and communities while promoting small business and reducing e waste throughout the country.”

Automotive Service Association (ASA) Board of Directors Chairman Scott Benavidez, AMAM, also testified, explaining how the agreement ASA reached with the Alliance for Automotive Innovation (AAI) ensures independent repair facilities will continue to enjoy access to the information needed to diagnose and repair issues with their customers’ vehicles.

“ASA has been a steadfast advocate for right-to-repair principles—the right of car owners and independent repair shops to access vehicle service information needed to diagnose and repair vehicles—for decades,” Benavidez said. “We take this unequivocal stance because our members are on the front lines of the vehicle data access issue and have been very clear: we want to have access to the data necessary to repair our customers’ vehicles… That’s why, last week, ASA proudly announced it had reached a landmark agreement with automakers that ensures independent repair shops can diagnose and repair their customers’ vehicles without hindrance from telematics nor any other innovation.”

Benavidez also shared ASA’s concerns that the SMART Act— which would allow aftermarket manufacturers to produce and sell parts of similar appearance 30

months after the OEM part enters the market and do so without violating patent law—lacks quality and safety standards for aftermarket replacement parts.

“We can and should have a competitive marketplace that doesn’t compromise quality or safety,” Benavidez said. “[Some insurers] [d]eciding to only cover the cheapest option without understanding implications for quality leaves collision shops and their customers in a tough position… [M]ore imported and other crash parts in the marketplace with limited quality standards gives insurance companies even more power to mandate that cheaper parts that may or may not meet quality expectations be installed, while leaving car owners and repairers to suffer the consequences.”

ASA said it appreciates Issa for providing ASA the opportunity to share the perspective of independent automotive repair shops before the subcommittee and for the thoughtful comments from the subcommittee members.

The CAR Coalition, a group of independent automotive parts, management and repair companies, associations and insurers committed

to preserving consumer choice and affordable vehicle repair, praised the subcommittee for holding the hearing.

“Today’s hearing makes clear there is broad bipartisan support for consumers’ right to repair their vehicles,” said CAR Coalition Executive Director Justin Rzepka. “As Chairman Issa said, the right to repair empowers consumers and drives economic growth and prosperity. Repair restrictions imposed by auto manufacturers are designed to protect corporations, not consumers. The CAR Coalition stands proudly on the side of consumers in this fight.”

According to a recent YouGov Survey of 1,000 vehicle owners conducted June 29–July 5, a sizable majority of Americans support a federal vehicle right to repair law that would prevent automakers from restricting vehicle owners’ repair options. The results showed Americans believe they should be able to decide where and who repairs their vehicle and have access to their vehicle’s data, and a strong preference for independent repair shops over dealerships.

Source: CAR Coalition, Auto Service Association

NHTSA Opens Special Probe Into Fatal Tesla Model Y Crash in Virginia

By Dan Mihalascu InsideEVs

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is opening a special crash investigation into a deadly accident involving a Tesla Model Y that smashed into a heavy truck.

The auto safety regulator is probing the July 19 fatal crash in which the driver of the Tesla died after striking a tractortrailer truck in Warrenton, VA. According to Reuters, NHTSA has reasons to suspect the Tesla was relying on Autopilot when it plowed into the truck.

The 57-year-old Tesla driver was killed after the tractor-trailer was attempting to turn onto a highway from a truck stop, the Fauquier County Sheriff’s Office said. The Model Y struck the side and went underneath the trailer, resulting in the driver’s death. The driver of the tractor trailer was issued a summons for reckless driving.

This is the latest in more

than three dozen Tesla special crash investigations the NHTSA has opened since 2016 in cases where driver-assistance systems such as Autopilot were suspected of being used. To date, 23 deaths were reported in all these crashes.

ASE Vouchers Available For EV Testing

investigations annually into emerging technologies and other potential safety issues. These investigations previously helped to develop safety rules on airbags, for example. These investigations are distinct from defect investigations opened by NHTSA to determine if a safety recall is necessary.

In June, NHTSA upgraded to an engineering analysis its defect probe into 830,000 Tesla vehicles with Autopilot and crashes with parked emergency vehicles, including fire trucks. The probe was first opened in August 2020.

The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) has made vouchers available for EV certification testing.

ASE previously announced the creation of Electric Vehicle Technician/ Shop Personnel Electrical Safety Standards, to minimize exposure to hazards and their associated impacts, developed in conjunction with vehicle manufacturers, aftermarket personnel and other electric industry subject matter experts. Visit www.ase. com/ev to see the standards.

NHTSA in July opened another special crash probe into a July 5 deadly crash in South Lake Tahoe, CA, involving a 2018 Tesla Model 3. The 17-yearold driver of a Subaru Impreza was killed after a head-on collision with the Tesla Model 3. A 3-month-old infant who was riding in the Tesla also died several days later from wounds caused by the accident.

The agency typically opens more than 100 special crash

Tesla’s Autopilot is an advanced driver assistance system that can steer, accelerate and brake cars automatically within their lane; there’s also enhanced Autopilot that can assist in changing lanes on highways. Despite the system’s potentially misleading name, Tesla maintains Autopilot requires active human supervision at all times.

In addition to the standards, ASE launched two tests in this series: the xEV Electrical Safety Awareness Certification (Level One), designed for anyone who may encounter an EV in the workplace, and the xEV Technician Electrical Safety Certification (Level Two), for professionals, technicians or specialists who have received training, have demonstrated skills and knowledge, and maintain a safe working area and use PPE.

Automotive service professionals and shop owners who want to purchase ASE EV test vouchers for their employees can visit the myASE portal.

Source: ASE

USDOT Proposes Updated Fuel Economy Standards

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on July 28 issued a proposal to update fuel economy standards for passenger cars and light trucks. A 60-day public comment period will begin after the proposal is published in the Federal Register. As one of the range of options on which the agency is taking public comment, the preferred alternative in NHTSA’s proposal includes a 2% per year improvement in fuel efficiency for passenger cars, and a 4% per year improvement for light trucks, beginning in model year 2027 and ramping up through model year 2032, potentially reaching an average fleet fuel economy of 58 miles per gallon by 2032.

It also includes a 10% improvement per year for commercial pickup trucks and work vans (with gross vehicle weight ratings of more than 8,500 pounds and less than 14,001 pounds) beginning in model year 2030 and ramping up through model year 2035.

If finalized as proposed, the updated standards would save Americans hundreds of dollars at the pump, all while making America more energy secure and less reliant on foreign

oil. NHTSA estimates the combined benefits of its proposal exceed costs by more than $18 billion by:

• Saving consumers more than $50 billion on fuel over the vehicles’ lifetimes.

• Reducing U.S. dependence on oil by saving more than 88 billion gallons of gasoline through 2050.

• Preventing more than 900 million tons of CO2 emissions—the equivalent of taking more than 233 million vehicles off the road from 2022 through 2050.

NHTSA will engage with a broad set of stakeholders during the public comment period, including consumers, unions, automakers, states, environmental groups and others. The proposal would also drive fuel efficiency improvements for heavy-duty pickup trucks and work vans. “Better vehicle fuel efficiency means more money in Americans’ pockets and stronger energy security for the entire nation,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said. NHTSA’s proposed fuel economy standards complement and align with the Environmental Protection Agency’s recently proposed emissions standards for

similar vehicle fleets. NHTSA will coordinate with the EPA to optimize the effectiveness of its standards while minimizing compliance costs, consistent with applicable statutory factors. With the release of today’s proposal, NHTSA invites comments from all stakeholders on how this goal can be achieved. The proposed rule sets targets that are consistent with Congress’ direction to conserve fuel and promote American energy independence and American auto manufacturing, while providing flexibility to industry on how to achieve those targets. Though NHTSA does not take electric and other alternative fuels into account in setting the standards, manufacturers may use all available technologies—including advanced internal combustion engines, hybrid technologies and electric vehicles—for compliance.

The new proposal also supports the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to cutting costs for Americans and reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution in communities near freeways and other heavily trafficked roads, which are disproportionately low-income communities of color.

Since the lowest-income households spend nearly 20% of income on transportation fuels, which is three times the average U.S. household, this proposal is consistent with the administration’s commitment to advancing environmental justice.

“CAFE standards have driven the auto industry to innovate in improving fuel economy in ways that benefit our nation and all Americans,” NHTSA Acting Administrator Ann Carlson said. “The new standards we’re proposing today would advance our energy security, reduce harmful emissions, and save families and business owners money at the pump. That’s good news for everyone.”

The proposal also models a range of additional alternatives. NHTSA requests comment on the full range of standards from the no-action alternative to the most stringent alternative modeled, including comment on combinations of standards that may not be explicitly identified in the proposal.

Read the proposal here. For more information, please see NHTSA’s Corporate Average Fuel Economy page.

Source: NHTSA

Pandemic Fraud Prosecutions in NC Up To 50

By Victor Skinner The Center Square

Federal prosecutors in the respective Western, Middle and Eastern districts of North Carolina have targeted at least 50 individuals responsible for nearly $40 million in COVID-19 relief fraud since the pandemic began in March 2020.

Public statements since the start of the pandemic show 50 individuals, mostly from the state, have been charged or indicted in the Old North State with various forms of COVID-19 relief fraud involving $39,063,648 in taxpayer funds.

The most recent case involves Mooresville’s Steven Andiloro , 51, who faces securities fraud, wire fraud and money laundering charges for allegedly scamming $2.6 million in COVID-19 relief funds between April 2020 and March 2021. Prosecutors say Andiloro gained access to the money with fraudulent applications for forgivable loans through the Paycheck Protection Program,

which prosecutors contend he used to fund his personal lifestyle and prop up a Ponzistyle scheme involving real and fake businesses.

Like many charged before him, Andiloro faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, if convicted.

To date, statements from the U.S. attorneys in the Western, Middle and Eastern districts identify a total more than $4.7 million in restitution in the more than four dozen North Carolina cases, though many are pending sentencing and final judgments. In the releases, most of the resolutions announced did not detail whether courts imposed possible fines of between $250,000 and $1 million.

Of the 50 individuals charged with crimes for stealing from the Paycheck Protection Program, pandemic unemployment insurance and Economic Injury Disaster Loans, at least 17 have been convicted and sentenced to a combined 108 years and nine months in prison.

In the Eastern District,

prosecutors have announced more than $22 million in fraud involving 23 individuals. Of those, five have been sentenced to a total 43 years in prison and ordered to pay or forfeit nearly $2.5 million in restitution.

It’s a similar situation in the Western District, where 23 individuals have been charged with frauds totaling more than $13.4 million. Six of the accused have been convicted and sentenced to a total of 37 years, four months in prison and ordered to pay nearly $1.8 million in restitution or monetary judgments. The restitution total includes nearly $270,000 fraud proceeds seized in 2020.

Only four individuals have been identified in the Middle District for COVID-19 fraud, and all have been sentenced. Crimes there involved just over $3.3 million in COVID-19 relief, according to public statements. In total, the four were sentenced to 21 years, nine months in prison and ordered to pay more than $498,000 in restitution.

The Automotive Training Institute (ATI) is excited to announce Craig Montgomery as its new president. Montgomery brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to ATI through his past 15 years as an executive in the logistics and automotive technology industries. Most recently, Montgomery was the chief revenue officer and general manager for Derive Systems, which develops engine software to increase the performance and fuel efficiency of corporate fleets.

ATI is excited to have Montgomery join the team and to partner with its members to continue to expand the vision created by Chubby and then grown by Richard of helping current and new members realize their full profit potential. Montgomery looks forward to expanding ATI’s service offerings to the membership and the launch of www.drivenadvantage. com through ATI for the automotive aftermarket.

Source:

ATI

Alabama Hands-Free Law Reduces Distracted Driving 2.4%

Cambridge Mobile Telematics (CMT) on July 27 announced the first analysis of the hands-free law enacted in Alabama on June 16. The new data shows a 2.4% reduction in distracted driving one month after Gov. Kay Ivey signed a bill prohibiting drivers from handling their phones while driving.

of 2 minutes and 5 seconds driving distracted. In the month since the law passed, time spent distracted decreased by 3 seconds.

The gains from the new law already appear to be fading, however. The first week after the law went into effect saw the largest reduction in distracted driving, dropping by four seconds compared to the prior month. The last full week of CMT’s analysis, from July 14 through July 20, shows distraction in Alabama was 1 second higher than before the law went into effect.

legislation in early April. Since then, it’s seen a sustained 10% reduction in distracted driving. One of the key differences between the two states is that Ohio’s law is a primary offense, meaning police officers can stop drivers just for handling their phones. Alabama’s law is a secondary offense, where police officers can only ticket drivers for using their phones if they’ve also committed a primary offense, like speeding.

To address the industry-wide need for advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) calibration in the automotive aftermarket, Burke Porter Group (BPG), a leading global supplier of OEM end-of-line testing solutions, on July 19 announced the creation of a new aftermarket business unit, expanding market opportunities for its ADAS calibration business.

From May 16 through June 15, Alabama drivers spent an average

“Hands-free laws are the foundation for a host of strategic initiatives that can improve roadway safety by reducing smartphone distraction,” said Ryan McMahon, SVP of strategy for CMT. “While a critical milestone, Alabama’s new law does not have the same restrictions as laws passed in other states this year, which have reduced distracted driving by five times as much. Alabama’s biggest challenge now is to build on the foundation of the new law to strengthen safety for all drivers in Alabama.”

Ohio passed hands-free

Still, the 2.4% drop in distracted driving in Alabama for one month made drivers and roadway users in the state safer. CMT’s data shows the crash rate falls by 1.4% with every 10% reduction in distracted driving. In the month of reduced distraction, CMT estimates Alabama was able to prevent 70 car crashes and $1.6 million in economic damages.

CMT defines phone motion distraction as when the phone is rotating with the screen on while the vehicle is moving. The data comes from more than 1 million trips in Alabama from May 16 through July 24.

Source: Cambridge Mobile Telematics

Additionally, the company has appointed industry veteran Doug Kelly as president of the new division, to report to CEO Jeffrey Moss

An automotive and technology industry veteran of more than 20 years, Kelly will leverage his expertise as well as the company’s existing global OEM end-of-line leadership position, to establish strategic partnerships with key industry stakeholders in the ADAS market segment. As car manufacturers increasingly look to innovate with new technologies and safety features, the complexity and challenge of servicing them increases exponentially.

Source: Burke Porter Group

“While a critical milestone, Alabama’s new law does not have the same restrictions as laws passed in other states this year, which have reduced distracted driving by five times as much. Alabama’s biggest challenge now is to build on the foundation of the new law to strengthen safety for all drivers in Alabama.”

RYAN MCMAHON

VinFast Breaks Ground At North Carolina EV Facility

VinFast announced July 28 it has officially broken ground at its electric vehicle manufacturing site, located within the Triangle Innovation Point in Chatham County, NC. The groundbreaking ceremony, which took place July 28 at the site, marked a significant milestone toward VinFast’s global expansion and the company’s supply chain development in North America.

VinFast’s U.S. factory project is the first electric vehicle manufacturing facility in North Carolina, as well as the largest economic development initiative in the state’s history.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, Vietnamese Ambassador to the U.S. Nguyen Quoc Dung and representatives from state and federal governments attended the event along with a gathering of VinFast’s partners, customers, industry experts and journalists.

The plant, which has a Phase 1 total investment of up to $2 billion, spans an area of approximately 1,800 acres and is divided into five main production areas, including a body shop, general assembly,

press shop, paint shop and an energy center. There will also be other functional facilities on the factory premises.

In the initial phase, the factory will focus on building VinFast’s VF 7, VF 8 and VF 9 electric vehicles with an expected production capacity of 150,000 vehicles per year. The supplier base for components and materials will be primarily concentrated in the U.S., Vietnam and a few other countries. Future expansion and updates for the factory will be identified in the next phase.

Currently, VinFast has appointed Clayco as the general contractor and construction management company to lead the project and will begin the bidding process to select subcontractors soon.

“North Carolina’s skilled and diverse workforce is our greatest strength, and we have the largest manufacturing workforce in the Southeast,” said Cooper. “This VinFast factory will create thousands of good-paying jobs in our state, along with a healthier environment as more electric vehicles take to the road.”

“Today’s event marks a new milestone for VinFast, affirming our commitment to the North American market,” said Madam Le Thi Thu Thuy, CEO of VinFast, during the ceremony. “Not only will this project create thousands of jobs and contribute to North Carolina’s economic development, but VinFast’s electric vehicles produced here will also bring additional economic benefits to consumers. We also look forward to contributing to the development of the North Carolina community— our second home---during the production and business operation here.”

The VinFast electric vehicle manufacturing plant is expected to commence production in 2025, creating an ecosystem of suppliers and thousands of jobs.

The manufacturing complex, VinFast’s first electric vehicle factory outside of Vietnam, will also play an important role as the company strives to reach worldclass levels of sustainable mobility on a global scale.

Source: VinFast

CAPA Certifies Hushan Sensors

The Certified Automotive Parts Association (CAPA) announced the first CAPA Certified ultrasonic sensors are now available, manufactured by CAPA participant Hushan Autoparts Inc.

These ultrasonic sensors, certified to the CAPA 703 standard, join Hushan’s line of CAPA Certified rearview cameras (CAPA 702), and are now available to be requested from automotive part suppliers.

According to a New York Times report, “Why Car Repairs Have Become So Expensive,” the cost of the average car repair is 36% higher now than it was in 2018, buoyed by ongoing part shortages and the increased use of expensive components such as rearview cameras and ultrasonic sensors. CAPA believes the availability of affordable, high-quality aftermarket alternatives for these parts is key to battling longer wait times, higher insurance premiums and increased cost to drivers.

Source: CAPA

“Se Habla Espanol ”

Automakers on Aug. 1 began reporting new-vehicle sales results for July.

Subaru

Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) reported 12 consecutive months of increased sales with 50,389 vehicles sold for July 2023, a 21% increase compared with July 2022 (41,536). SOA also reported yearto-date sales of 354,481, a 16% increase compared with the same period in 2022.

In July, Forester was the top performer by volume with 14,504 vehicle sales and an increase of 87% over the same month in 2022. Outback sales posted a 44% increase in July, while BRZ increased by 36% compared to July 2022. Legacy and Impreza sales increased by 35% and 26%, respectively, compared to July 2022. Year to date, WRX posted a 98% increase, while the BRZ carline posted an increase of 49% compared to the same period in 2022.

Hyundai

Hyundai Motor America reported

total July sales of 66,527 units, a 10% increase compared with July 2022. Hyundai set best-ever total sales in July for Santa Cruz (+4%), Tucson (+27%), Tucson PHEV (+44%), Tucson HEV (+1%), Santa Fe HEV (+205%) and IONIQ 5 (+109%). All-time sales records were set for IONIQ 5 and Tucson

volume and an increase of 49% year-over-year. SUVs represented 74% of the retail mix.

Kia

Building on the momentum created by best-ever first half sales, Kia America set an all-time July record of 70,930 units, up 14% over the same period last year and breaking the previous record set in July 2021. Kia’s retail sales in July totaled 66,485, an increase of 13% yearover-year.

Mazda

Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) reported total July sales of 30,629 vehicles, an increase of 30.9% compared to July 2022. Year-to-date sales totaled 214,412 vehicles, an increase of 29% compared to the same time last year. With 25 selling days in July, compared to 26 the year prior, the company posted an increase of 36.2% on a Daily Selling Rate (DSR) basis.

PHEV. Hyundai fleet sales were 7% of the total volume for the month.

Hyundai achieved its best July retail sales ever with 61,745 retail units, a 2% increase compared to July 2022. Hyundai set best-ever retail sales in July for Santa Cruz, Tucson, Tucson PHEV, Santa Fe HEV and IONIQ 5. Hyundai Green sales represented 20% of retail

As Kia completed its 12th consecutive month of year-overyear sales growth, six models posted year-over-year sales increases including: Niro (+384%); Carnival (+136%); Seltos (+39%); Rio (+18%); Telluride (+17%) and EV6 (+13%). In addition, five Kia models achieved best-ever July sales, including: Carnival (+40%); Seltos (+17%) and the Niro, Telluride and EV6 models (+13% each). Lastly, year-over-year sales of Kia’s electrified models increased by 72%, with sales of Kia’s utility vehicles up 17%. Overall, Kia’s utility models accounted for 72% of the brand’s July sales total.

CPO sales totaled 5,563 vehicles in July, an increase of 48% compared to July 2022.

Source: Subaru, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda

Massive BendPak Industrial Complex Under Development in Alabama

Diversification is paying dividends for BendPak, Inc. Driven by exponential business growth from new products and markets, the global garage equipment manufacturer is developing a huge light industrial space on 33 acres in Mobile County, AL. The BendPak Industrial Complex will be located a couple miles from BendPak’s recently expanded East Coast campus.

“Our business growth through diversification model is opening new doors and business opportunities,” said Jeff Kritzer, BendPak president and CEO. “This is a strategic move as we anticipate continuing growth across our automotive and consumer markets. The state-of-the-art facilities will allow us to optimize our supply chain and distribution processes, enabling faster and more efficient product delivery.”

BendPak Industrial Complex will feature several large multiuse buildings that will provide an optimal environment for light manufacturing and assembly; product development and testing; and comprehensive distribution,

marketing and sales support. The strategic layout and design have been meticulously planned to optimize supply chain and distribution initiatives to minimize handling time.

With advanced logistics systems, automated processes and efficient order fulfillment capabilities, BendPak will be able to expedite customer deliveries.

“This investment reaffirms our commitment to delivering exceptional products and services to our customers,” said Don Henthorn, BendPak owner and founder. “This new cutting-edge complex, coupled with our team’s expertise, will empower BendPak to provide end-to-end solutions that not only meet but exceed customer expectations.”

BendPak has been in a building boom over the last six years. During that time, the privately held company has twice expanded its Santa Paula, CA, campus; bought, built and expanded its East Coast facility near the Port of Mobile; and established a new state-of-the-art global headquarters in Agoura Hills, CA. With a commitment to

innovation and customer service, BendPak is poised to leverage its new complex to revolutionize the industry and further elevate its market position.

Since its founding in 1965, BendPak has evolved into the world’s largest supplier of car lifts and automotive service equipment. Brands operating under the BendPak umbrella today include Ranger®, Autostacker®, QuickJack®, Cool Boss®, GrandPrix®, MaxJax®, Dannmar® and Ergochair

Products include a wide range of lifts, wheel service equipment, pipe benders, air compressors, brake lathes, evaporative air coolers, rolling work seats and more. In recent years, the company has added specialty consumer products to the mix, including boat lifts, Coolee™ portable air coolers and JackPak® portable power packs.

Phase one of the BendPak Industrial Complex is expected to be fully operational by summer 2025. Learn more about BendPak at BendPak.com or call 805-9339970.

Source: BendPak, Inc.

Polyvance Reduces Price of

Polyvance announced the immediate price reduction of its two paid online training courses, allowing more people to gain valuable knowledge about plastic repair. The PR-03 Headlight Repair Course is now $29 and the EPR-01 Estimating Plastic Repair Course is now $49.

The PR-03 Headlight Repair Course demonstrates the repair of broken headlight tabs using the nitrogen plastic welding system. It is about an hour long and demonstrates eight unique repairs.

The EPR-01 Estimating Plastic Repair course is designed to educate estimators on assessing the repairability of the numerous plastic components found on today’s vehicles. The course is divided into four modules and takes around two hours to complete.

The PR-03 and EPR-01 are available on Polyvance’s LMS, alongside the company’s two free Polyvance University training courses. More information on all Polyvance’s online courses can be found at polyvance. tortal.net or by emailing training@ polyvance.com.

Source: Polyvance

The Right VW Parts Make all the Difference

Dave Luehr’s

Elite Body Shop Academy Launches New In-Person Nashville Training Workshops

Dave Luehr, collision repair industry expert and founder of Elite Body Shop Solutions and the Elite Body Shop Academy, is excited to announce the launch of in-person Nashville, TN, training workshops, designed to offer in-depth, action-oriented operational training to body shop owners, managers and their administrative teams. The workshop topics and schedule can be found at daveluehr. mykajabi.com/livetraining.

Over the past five years, the academy has become known for affordableandimpactfulonlinecourses such as “Operations Monthly LIVE” and “Dominating the Competition.” Many shops have seen transformational results when applying the concepts in these courses. “Online training is an incredibly powerful tool for shops to gain knowledge without having to leave the office,” said Luehr. “However, it doesn’t replace the synergy of in-person training or the ability to interact one-on-one with the trainers and get feedback on your shop’s unique needs. In-depth workshops are a longtime dream of mine, and I am thrilled to launch this new arm of the Elite Body Shop Academy with

the help of my team and participation from some world-class trainers.” Each workshop varies in length of training and price, but they all have a limited number of available seats to allow for more one-on-one interaction with trainers, ensuring comprehension and customized action plans.

“Training is only as good as its implementation at the shop,” said Luehr. “I’ve heard from too many smart operators who left conferences excited about new knowledge, but unable to apply it on the shop floor. Our goal is to help every participant walk away not only with a wealth of knowledge, but also a detailed action plan they can immediately start implementing back at the shop.”

Upcoming workshops include:

Advanced Production Management: How to design & implement a worldclass production system in any collision repair business. A three-day intensive training, Aug. 24–26, featuring special guest Jon Parker from HALO Group, and trainers Luehr, Brent Henkle and Phil Allen from Elite Body Shop Solutions. Sold out within 24 hours!

Transforming the Customer Experience: Immersive training for

collision centers. Revolutionize the customer service standard at your shop with this two-day intensive training, Sept. 14 -15. The Elite Academy has partnered with Phoenix Solutions Group to bring you this training with Nick Schoolcraft, Tina Biancalana and Luehr from Elite Body Shop Solutions. Know Your Numbers: Understanding the Basics (and Power!) of Body Shop Financial Management. A one-day intensive training, Oct. 14, with Luehr and Henkle from Elite Body Shop Solutions.

Additional workshops and topics will be added to the schedule soon.

The current schedule can be found at daveluehr.mykajabi.com/ livetraining. Registration is on a first come, first served basis.

To be placed on a priority waitlist for the next Advanced Production Management Workshop (or any sold out workshop), email info@ elitebodyshopsolutions.com.

To receive emails about upcoming Elite Body Shop Academy offerings, sign up for the Elite email list at elitebodyshopsolutions.com.

Source: Elite Body Shop Academy

Cool Boss™, a division of BendPak, expanded its product lineup beyond evaporative coolers with the new Tempest and Windstorm series of high-volume, low-speed (HVLS) industrial overhead fans, are designed to deliver optimized temperatures in large interior spaces while drastically reducing energy costs.

In commercial or industrial buildings, Cool Boss overhead fans create a more comfortable environment while maintaining low energy consumption. Running the fans counterclockwise in the summer provides the expected cooling effect. But it doesn’t stop there. In the winter, running the fans clockwise mixes heated air rising from below with cooler air sinking from above to provide an optimum temperature without running heaters as often—resulting in up to 30% energy savings.

Cool Boss HVLS fans are available in a range of sizes. Learn more at coolboss.com/large-hvlsindustrial-ceiling-fans or call (855) 2BE-COOL.

Source: Cool Boss

The average annual cost of a car insurance policy surged $240 to $1,668 in the first six months of 2023, up from $1,428 in 2022. Prices will increase another 4% before the end of the year, according to Insurify’s latest auto insurance report. The report attributes these increases to insurers experiencing high losses as a result of soaring auto repair prices and the effects of climate change.

“Vehicle repair and maintenance costs have outpaced inflation and show no signs of slowing, leading insurers to increase auto insurance prices to keep up with the cost of higher claim payouts,” said Allie Feakins, Insurify’s senior vice president of insurance.

The report examines auto insurance price trends using Insurify’s own data of more than 79 million car insurance quotes, sourced directly from partnering insurance companies. It also reveals:

*Drivers are dropping coverage to keep car insurance costs affordable. The percentage of car insurance shoppers considering buying fullcoverage car insurance fell more than 50% in 2023, compared to 2022.

*Michigan still has the highest

auto insurance costs in the country, with an average policy costing $231 a month. Michigan drivers spend about 4.4% of their household income on car insurance—the highest proportion of any state.

*Car insurance prices have climbed the highest in New Mexico, Nevada and New Jersey, with an average 34% increase in costs within the last six months

*Major insurers are pulling out of Florida and California, citing devastating hurricanes and wildfires that have led to heightened catastrophe risk and a high number of expensive claims.

In addition to impacting home insurance rates, climate change is now beginning to be a greater concern for auto insurers. As a result, drivers in California and Florida will see fewer options for car insurance as insurers begin pulling out of the state.

“The frequency and severity of natural disasters have led to some geographical areas experiencing different types of weather events from what they’ve seen before,” said Betsy Stella, Insurify’s vice president of carrier management

and operations. “More vehicles are being caught and destroyed in fires and floods, and ice is sticking around longer, increasing the likelihood of collisions. This has led to auto insurers paying a higher number of—and a higher price for—customer claims.”

Claims are also more difficult and expensive to fulfill, as the price of auto parts continues to surge, with the consumer price index for motor vehicle maintenance and repair showing double-digit increases every month since September 2022.

Given the high cost of auto repair prices and impact of climate change, insurers have experienced recordbreaking losses over the last year. The property and casualty insurance sector posted a net combined ratio of 111.8% in 2022, and drivers will continue to see higher prices as they renew coverage.

“Given the lag between regulator approvals and actual rate increases, consumers can expect rates to increase over the next 12 to 18 months. It’s more important now than ever to comparison shop,” Feakins said.

Source: Insurify

Leadership 2.0 Scholarship Recipient Announced

The Manufacturers’ Representative Council, a community of the Auto Care Association, has selected Tony Perry of Gantt-Thomas & Associates, Inc., to represent the Manufacturers’ Representatives at the highly-acclaimed University of the Aftermarket’s 2023-2024 Leadership 2.0 Program.

Leadership 2.0 is the premier post-graduate style leadership and business skills education program designed to promote the development of the next generation of auto care leaders. The Leadership 2.0 program will take place in summer 2023 and spring 2024.

Perry is the vice president of sales and business development at Gantt-Thomas & Associates, Inc., in Springfield, MO, where he started his career in sales as a manufacturers’ rep calling on farm and home stores, hardware distributors and buying groups in the MINK states. Since then, he has worked in sales and marketing management, sourcing and procurement for 33 years.

For more information, contact Mary Ieng, community liaison, at mary.ieng@autocare.org.

Source: Auto Care Association

GM’s Cruise Bringing Self-Driving Robotaxis To Nashville

By Simon Alvarez Teslarati

Cruise CEO Kyle Vogt said the company will expand its robotaxi service to Nashville, TN. The launch of the driverless service in the city is part of the GM subsidiary’s efforts to accelerate its commercial operations.

Cruise’s self-driving cars are expected to arrive on Nashville streets soon, with the company’s robotaxi service launching later. Cruise does not seem to be focused on Nashville alone, as the company also disclosed plans to initiate testing in multiple new cities. Based on Cruise’s posts on its Careers page, Atlanta would appear to be one of the next cities.

A year ago, Cruise was limited to operating only in San Francisco. Since then, the company has expanded its services to Austin, Dallas, Houston, Phoenix and, most recently, Miami, as noted in a TechCrunch report. But while Cruise has ventured into these markets, it has yet to commence

full commercial operations in all of them.

Cruise has established a rollout strategy, which involves deploying test vehicles in a new market, gradually removing human safety operators to achieve fully autonomous driving, and offering ride-hailing services to employees and pre-registered customers. Once these are accomplished, the service and its hours of operation are expanded.

Vogt said Cruise’s capability to scale its operations is thanks in no small part to its city-first strategy, which begins with generalized tech that is then tweaked to fit specific scenarios. With such scenarios in place, each new city the service is deployed to will likely involve less work than the last.

“What we had to do was find the areas where our AV system didn’t generalize well and fix it. In some cases, it was as simple as retraining our ML models using data from the new city. In some cases, we found we had to redesign parts of a system,” Vogt said.

Stellantis, Samsung SDI To Build 2nd Battery Plant in U.S.

By Christopher Smith InsideEVs

Four months after ceremoniously raising the first beam of steel on its new battery plant, partners Stellantis and Samsung SDI announced plans to build a second sprawling facility.

As with the first, it will be located in the U.S. Exactly where is still a mystery, but production won’t begin until 2027.

The companies officially signed a memorandum of understanding on the plant, pledging to build it as part of the StarPlus Energy joint venture, the $2.5-billion initiative announced by the partners in May 2022 to manufacture lithium-ion batteries at a new plant in Kokomo, IN. The second plant will target an annual production capacity of 34 gigawatt-hours (GWh), slightly more than the Kokomo facility, initially slated for 23 GWh but since bumped to 33 GWh.

A memorandum of understanding leaves considerable room for adjustment. As such,

there are very few details available and the bits known aren’t set in stone. It’s also unclear how much this new plant will cost, but as a reminder, the current project comes with a $2.5 billion price tag.

Stellantis is one of many brands currently investing heavily in EV battery production for North America, a key component in the conglomerate’s Dare Forward 2030 electrification plan. If everything pans out, half of new Stellantis-family vehicles sold in North America will be fully electric.

“This new facility will contribute to reaching our aggressive target to offer at least 25 new battery electric vehicles for the North American market by the end of the decade,” said Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares. “We are continuing to add more capacity in the United States together with our great partner Samsung SDI and laying the next steps to reaching our carbon neutrality commitment by 2038.”

Owner of 6 South Carolina NAPA Stores Owes $66K in Back Wages To 20 Employees

Bellinger Parts Group Inc., operating as NAPA Auto Parts in Florence, SC, made illegal deductions from employees’ pay at six South Carolina store locations for store damage, cash register shortages and uniforms, causing some workers’ pay to fall below the $7.25 per hour federal minimum wage for all hours worked, a Fair Labor Standards Act violation, the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division said.

Investigators also found Bellinger Parts Group failed to pay non-exempt salary counter salespeople and delivery drivers overtime for hours over 40 in a workweek, and did not include non-discretionary sales bonuses in some employees’ regular rate when calculating correct overtime rates, causing them to pay overtime premiums at rates lower than required by law.

The federal agency recovered recovered $66,322 in back wages for 20 workers.

The sites investigated included NAPA Auto Parts stores in Darlington, Dillon, Effingham, Florence, Hartsville and Marion, SC.

“Employers who deny workers their full earnings make it harder for employees to provide for themselves and their families and give these employers an unfair advantage over law-abiding competitors,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director  Jamie Benefiel in Columbia, SC. “Other employers should use the outcome of this investigation as a reminder to review their pay practices to make certain they avoid violations that have costly consequences.”

Source: U.S. Department of Labor

Kia Niro, Niro Hybrid SUVs Recalled Over Fire Risk

By David A. Wood CarComplaints.com

A Kia Niro hydraulic clutch actuator recall has been announced for more than 121,000 SUVs due to a risk of fires in 2017-2022 Kia Niro and 2018-2022 Kia Niro Plug-in Hybrid vehicles.

Fluid may leak into the printed circuit board inside the hydraulic clutch actuator and cause an engine compartment fire.

In January, Kia learned of a 2020 Kia Niro Hybrid owner who complained about an illuminated hybrid warning light. A dealership found thermal damage to the hydraulic clutch actuator connector and harness.

Another report came in, this time from a 2019 Niro Hybrid with an illuminated warning light and localized melting around the hydraulic clutch actuator connector.

As Kia expanded its investigation of the problem, another incident occurred to a

2018 Niro Hybrid which involved localized melting.

Kia and the supplier found corrosion on the printed circuit boards in the three Niro Hybrids, convincing both companies to hire a third-party engineering firm.

In July, Kia confirmed, “Evidence of fluid contamination on PCB [printed circuit board] potentially from external sources but no evidence of internal leaks or brake fluid on the printed circuit board, 2) contaminated PCB can cause an electrical short circuit, and 3) PCB short circuit can lead to a fire as confirmed by duplication testing.”

Kia expects to mail Niro hydraulic clutch actuator recall letters Sept. 29. Kia dealerships will replace the hydraulic clutch actuators as necessary, and install new fuses.

The new fuse has a different capacity to mitigate the risk of a fire caused by an electrical short-circuit.

Kia Niro and Kia Niro Hybrid owners may contact Kia at 800333-4542.

Owners Unimpressed With

Vehicle manufacturers may be collectively disappointed learning that, for the first time in the 28year history of the J.D. Power U.S. Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study, there is a consecutive year-over-year decline in owner satisfaction.

According to the 2023 study, released July 20, overall satisfaction is 845 (on a 1,000-point scale), a decrease of 2 points from a year ago and 3 points lower than in 2021.

“The decline in consecutive years might look small, but it’s an indicator that larger issues may lie under the surface,” said  Frank Hanley, senior director of auto benchmarking at J.D. Power. “Despite the technology and design innovations that manufacturers put into new vehicles, owners are lukewarm about them. While innovations like charging pads, vehicle apps and advanced audio features should enhance an owner’s experience, this is not the case when problems are experienced. This downward trajectory of satisfaction should be a warning sign to manufacturers that they need to better understand what owners really want in their new vehicles.”

The study is based on 10 factors—

nine of which have declined year over year. The only factor to improve is fuel economy (771), which is 15 points higher than in 2022.

The factor with the largest year-over-year decline is exterior, decreasing to 888 from 894. Satisfaction with exterior styling on new models in 2023 is particularly unremarkable, scoring only 3 points above carryover models.

Built-in infotainment systems are a prime example of a technology not resonating with today’s buyers. Only 56% of owners prefer to use their vehicle’s built-in system to play audio, down from 70% in 2020. Three of the most common uses for built-in systems are: owners looking to make phone calls; voice recognition; and navigation—with less than half (45%, 37% and 43%, respectively) of owners preferring to use their vehicle’s built-in system for these functions.

The APEAL Study complements the J.D. Power U.S. Initial Quality Study (IQS) and the J.D. Power U.S. Tech Experience Index (TXI) Study by measuring owners’ emotional attachment and level of excitement with their new vehicle. The APEAL Study asks owners to consider 37 attributes, ranging from the sense of

Design and Performance

comfort they feel when climbing into the driver’s seat to their exhilaration when they step on the accelerator. Vehicle owners’ responses to queries about these attributes are aggregated to compute an overall APEAL Index score.

Key Findings of the 2023 Study

Both premium and mass market segments decrease in overall satisfaction: Year over year, satisfaction declines 4 points among mass market brands and 1 point among premium brands. The gap in satisfaction between the two segments widens to 34 points this year.

Android Automotive Operating System (AAOS) with GAS delights owners: Models that have AAOS with Google Automotive Services (GAS) score higher in the infotainment category than those with no AAOS whatsoever. AAOS without GAS receives the lowest scores for infotainment of the three categories.

Satisfaction with fuel economy better among BEVs than gas-powered vehicles: For a second consecutive year, battery electric vehicles (BEVs) outperform internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle counterparts in

fuel economy, the only factor showing improvement in this year’s study. Even with gas prices declining, the large gap in satisfaction continues between ICE vehicles (758) and BEVs (797) for fuel economy/range scores.

Electrified vehicles close APEAL gap with gas vehicles: The overall APEAL Index score for gasolinepowered vehicles is 843, tied with plug-in hybrids. In comparison, BEVs (excluding Tesla) increased 2 points year over year to 840 and have closed the gap in satisfaction with gaspowered vehicles to 3 points. Tesla vehicles are summarized separately due to their high weight in the BEV segment. It is notable that certain attributes of Tesla models continue to outperform other BEVs, though there are challengers emerging from traditional manufacturers, including five BEV models that receive segment awards.

Satisfaction with Tesla declines:  Tesla, with a score of 878, remains one of the higher performing brands in the industry. However, the score in 2023 is 9 points lower than a year ago when Tesla was first included in the study. Satisfaction scores for Tesla have declined year over year in all 10 factors. Because Tesla does

Mopar ® Collision Parts are engineered to precise OEM dimensional accuracy and ensure proper function with vehicle safety systems and sensors.

not allow J.D. Power access to owner information in the states where that permission is required by law, Tesla models remain ineligible for awards.

Highest-Ranking Brands

Jaguar ranks highest among premium brands with a score of 887. Land Rover (883) and Porsche (883) rank second in a tie, while BMW (878) ranks fourth.

Dodge ranks highest among mass market brands for a fourth consecutive year, with a score of 887. Ram (873) ranks second and GMC (858) ranks third.

Model-Level APEAL Awards

Setting a record for the most modellevel awards (for models ranking highest in their respective segments) is Hyundai Motor Group (nine awards), followed by BMW AG (five awards) and Toyota Motor Corporation (three awards).

The complete list of award recipients is:

Hyundai Motor Group: Genesis GV60, Hyundai Santa Cruz, Kia Carnival, Kia EV6, Kia Forte, Kia K5, Kia Rio, Kia Stinger and Kia Telluride

BMW AG: BMW 7 Series, BMW

Toyota Motor Corporation: Lexus IS, Lexus RX and Toyota Sequoia

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.: Nissan Ariya and Nissan Titan

Volkswagen AG: Porsche 911 and Porsche Taycan

Stellantis NV: Dodge Challenger

Mercedes-Benz Group AG:  Mercedes-Benz CLA

General Motors Company: Chevrolet Blazer

Jaguar Land Rover Limited: Land Rover Range Rover

The Porsche 911 is the highest-ranking individual model (914). Kia sets a record for most brand awards in a single year with seven. The Kia K5 receives a model-level award for a third consecutive year.

The 2023 U.S. APEAL Study is based on responses from 84,555 owners of new 2023 model-year vehicles who were surveyed after 90 days of ownership. The study was fielded from February through May 2023, based on vehicles registered from November 2022 through

ource: J.D. Power

GM Launches Effort To Educate Consumers About Assisted Driving Features

General Motors on July 28 launched “Hands Free, Eyes On,” a consumer education program to encourage consumer confidence in the use of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) as part of GM’s larger commitment to the safe deployment of these technologies, like Super Cruise. To avoid concern and confusion about the benefits of ADAS as they become more widely available, GM intends to give consumers more information so that they are informed, excited and confident in the technology.

“We know that to help achieve our vision of zero crashes, we must increase the adoption of ADAS and proactively highlight the benefits they offer,” said Scott Miller, GM vice president, Software Defined Vehicle and Operating System. “To increase usage, we must help drivers understand how currently available technologies, like Super Cruise, work and the responsibility drivers have when using ADAS features. We want customers to be assured of what we are doing to

safely deploy these technologies.”

The “Hands Free, Eyes On” program is designed to explain the current state of ADAS—from active safety to hands-free features like Super Cruise—available to customers, all of which require the driver’s constant attention to the road, versus fully autonomous driving which does not require driver intervention. With a handsfree enabled vehicle like one equipped with Super Cruise, the driver is responsible for the vehicle’s operation. That means their eyes need to be on the road at all times, even when their hands are free.

GM is committed to the safe deployment of current and future advanced driver assistance systems and believes part of this is helping consumers to understand their capabilities and how to properly use them.

GM will share free ADAS educational resources and best practices on GM.com and GM social channels. Content will be continuously updated.

Source: GM

for the part only, and any labor charge is the consumer’s responsibility.

Toyota’s Collaborative Safety Research Center Announces

Toyota’s Collaborative Safety Research Center (CSRC) on July 27 announced plans to launch three new projects as part of its next phase of research, dedicated to advancing safety in mobility technologies.

The research projects include an investigation on driver support features for vehicle lane centering, the creation of an in-vehicle intervention prototype to promote safe driving and the use of data to help improve technology to aid driver decision making to encourage safer driving behavior.

Additionally, Toyota announced it has joined the Vulnerable Road User Injury Prevention Alliance (VIPA) at the University of Michigan International Center for Automotive Medicine (ICAM) to support ongoing research into crashes with shared road-users such as pedestrians, cyclists and e-scooter riders. VIPA seeks to enhance industrywide understanding of common scenarios between motor vehicles and non-vehicle road users that have historically led to crashes and injuries, with an aim to ultimately contribute to the development of effective mitigation or prevention

measures.

Along with the 13 projects announced in 2022, the three new projects are part of the current fiveyear $30 million commitment to explore diverse safety needs and analyze inclusive mobility options that cater to various applications, physical characteristics and accessibility levels for individuals and society.

“Our new research projects exemplify CSRC’s dedication to our mission of improving safety in the automotive industry,” said Danil Prokhorov, director of Toyota’s CSRC. “By collaborating with researchers to study realworld problems related to mobility technologies, we aim to develop enhanced engineering tools and empower drivers to maximize the potential of advanced technologies.”

For the new projects, CSRC is leveraging the expertise of Massachusetts Institute of Technology Agelab, University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, and Touchstone Evaluations, Inc., respectively. Findings from the research projects will be shared publicly, maximizing

New Projects

the impact of these collaborations to help advance a future safe mobility society.

Toyota created the Collaborative Safety Research Center (CSRC) in 2011 to advance mobility safety for industry and society through open collaborations with universities, hospitals and other institutions. With current commitments, to date CSRC has received $115 million for foundational and applied safety research, including development of tools and testing procedures related to advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and research into human factors on vehicle safety, among others.

The current phase of research 2022–2025 at CSRC is focused three key tracks:

Human-Centric: CSRC strives to help ensure that safe mobility technologies are universally accessible and comprehensible, enabling everyone to benefit from them.

Safety Assurance: By investigating traffic environment, human drivers and potential safety hazards, CSRC aims to enhance safe operations and mitigate

risks associated with mobility technologies.

Assessment: CSRC focuses on quantifying mobility safety measures to facilitate informed decision-making and drive effective safety strategies.

These new initiatives join CSRC’s roster of 98 research projects with more than 30 different institutions. To date, CSRC has published more than 275 research papers and engaged more than 300 researchers, who have publicly shared the output globally. The projects have made meaningful contributions to help advance research and technology relating to the safe integration of future mobility solutions for all.

Source: Toyota Motor North America

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Honda Accord Shines, Other Midsize Cars Struggle in Rear-Seat Safety Test

The Honda Accord outperformed other midsize cars in the updated moderate overlap front crash test, earning a rare good rating in the new, challenging evaluation focused on rear-seat protection.

Among the other six midsize cars tested, the Subaru Outback earned an acceptable rating. The Nissan Altima and Toyota Camry were rated marginal. The Hyundai Sonata, Kia K5 and Volkswagen Jetta were rated poor.

“In most of the midsize cars we tested, the rear dummy slid forward, or ‘submarined,’ beneath the lap belt, causing it to ride up from the pelvis onto the abdomen and increasing the risk of internal injuries,” IIHS President David Harkey said. “In the three poorrated vehicles, measurements taken from the rear dummy also indicated likely injuries to the head or neck as well as to the chest.”

IIHS launched the updated moderate overlap front test last year after research showed in newer vehicles the risk of a fatal injury is now higher for belted occupants in the rear than for those in front. This is not because the rear seat

has become less safe. Rather, the front seat has become safer because of improved airbags and advanced seat belts that are rarely available in back. Even with these developments, the back seat remains the safest place for young children, who can be injured by an inflating front airbag.

To encourage manufacturers to improve rear-seat protection, the updated test adds a dummy in the back seat behind the driver. The driver dummy is the size of an average adult man. The rear dummy is the size of a small woman or 12-year-old child. IIHS researchers also developed new metrics that focus on the injuries most frequently seen in back-seat passengers.

For a vehicle to earn a good rating, there can’t be an excessive risk of injury to the head, neck, chest or thigh, as recorded by the secondrow dummy. The dummy should remain correctly positioned during the crash without submarining. The head should also remain a safe distance from the front seatback and the rest of the vehicle interior, and the shoulder belt should remain on the shoulder, where it is most

effective. A pressure sensor on the rear dummy’s torso is used to check the shoulder belt position during the crash.

As in the original test, the structure of the occupant compartment must maintain adequate survival space for the driver, and measurements taken from the driver dummy shouldn’t show an excessive risk of injuries.

All seven midsize cars provided good protection in the front seat. However, measurements indicated a slightly higher risk of injuries to the right leg or foot of the driver in the good-rated Accord.

The Accord provided stellar protection in the back seat. Measurements taken from the rear dummy showed no heightened risk of injuries, and the rear restraints did a good job controlling the dummy’s motion.

In contrast, submarining was a problem for the poor-rated K5 and Sonata, while in the Jetta the rear passenger’s head came too close to the front seatback. In all three poorrated cars, measurements taken from the rear dummy indicated likely injuries to the head or neck

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and chest and excessive belt forces. In the K5 and Sonata, the rear shoulder belt also moved off the shoulder toward the neck.

In both the marginal-rated Altima and Camry, the rear dummy submarined beneath the lap belt, and the shoulder belt moved off the shoulder toward the dummy’s neck. In the Altima, injury measurements also indicated a moderate risk of head or neck injuries for the rear passenger.

Measurements taken from the rear dummy in the acceptablerated Outback didn’t show any elevated injury risks. However, the dummy submarined beneath the lap belt, and its head came close to the front seatback during the crash, increasing the likelihood of abdominal and head injuries. After impact, the dummy’s head also slipped between the side curtain airbag and contacted the rear window door trim as the dummy rebounded.

Source: IIHS

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GEORGIA

Audi Gwinnett Duluth

678.258.2535

770.476.9311 Fax

M-F 7:30am-6pm parts@audigwinnett.com

www.audigwinnett.com

TENNESSEE

Audi Knoxville Knoxville

800-382-2787

865-691-3742

865-251-3227 Fax

M-F 7:30am-6pm; Sat 8am-2pm www.audiknoxville.com

brianmaillet@harperdealerships.com

Order Audi Genuine Parts from these select dealers.

Regardless of the age of your customer’s Audi, Audi dealers have access to over 200,000 part numbers and are supported by a nationwide network of distribution centers to help ensure non-stocked parts are delivered the next day.

Part Professionals are experts on collision parts, replacement components and mechanical items

New Study Shows Disproportionate Effect of Credit Scores on Auto Insurance Rates

Consumer Federation of America (CFA) released a new report July 31 detailing the impact of auto insurers’ use of consumer credit information on good drivers with only fair or poor credit scores. Across the country, consumers with poor credit annually pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars more for the basic auto insurance coverage mandated by state laws.

The full report is available at consumerfed.org/wp-content/ uploads/2023/07/OfficialCFA-Credit-Score_2023-FINALREPORT.pdf

Auto insurance must, by law, be purchased by drivers in every state except New Hampshire. Therefore, policymakers and regulators have a special responsibility to ensure coverage is available and affordable and consumers do not experience unfair discrimination.

Since the 1990s, auto insurance companies have used consumer credit information as a factor in setting insurance premiums. The use of credit

results in significant differences in the cost of auto insurance, even when comparing otherwise similar customers with clean driving records and no history of claims.

For consumers with fair and poor credit, insurance premiums are often unaffordable due to the heavy emphasis most insurers place on the reported credit history of their customers.

The study focused on the impact of the use of credit on the prices charged to Americans with safe driving histories.

While CFA maintains the results of its evaluation of the pricing data should lead to legislative and regulatory reform of the auto insurance industry, the central finding of the report lies with the numbers themselves.

Namely:

• American consumers with clean driving records and excellent credit pay an average annual auto insurance premium of $470 for state-mandated coverages. If

have fair credit, their average premium increases to $701, even if their driving records are perfect. Good drivers with poor credit face even higher premiums, averaging $1,012 for basic coverage across the country.

• In percentage terms, consumers with fair credit pay premiums that average 49% higher than the premiums paid by consumers with excellent credit. Consumers with poor credit pay 115% more than consumers with excellent credit and 44% more than those with fair credit.

• As credit impacts are generally uniform statewide but in-state territorial rates vary widely, often by ZIP code or census tract, drivers with fair and poor credit in higher priced urban communities face minimum limits insurance premiums that are often more than a thousand dollars higher than their neighbors with excellent credit.

Because credit history correlates to race and income, raising premiums on drivers with lower credit disproportionately

Stivers Decatur Subaru

Decatur

(404) 248-1888

Fax (404) 425-5800

Mon.-Fri. 7:30-6; Sat. 9-5 dway@stiversonline.com

www.stiverssubaru.com

Troncalli Subaru

Cumming

(770) 889-8951

Direct (678) 341-4220

Fax (678) 341-4221

www.troncallisubaru.com

Flow Subaru

Winston-Salem

(800) 489-3534

(336) 725-3554

Fax

Mon.-Fri. 8-5; Sat. 8-1 subarupartsws@flowauto.com

www.flowsubaru.com

harms low-income consumers and people of color.

In CFA’s conclusion, it argues state policymakers should prohibit insurers from using credit information in setting auto insurance rates as California, Hawaii and Massachusetts do currently. This ban, however, must be accompanied by additional protections that test for and minimize unfair discrimination to ensure the disparities driven by the use of credit are not maintained by the replacement of credit information with other underwriting and pricing tools that lead to similar results.

Source: CFA

Jim Armstrong Subaru

Hickory

(888) 905-6135

(828) 322-9372 opt 5

Mon.-Fri. 8-5

parts@jimarmstrongsubaru.com

www.jimarmstrongsubaru.com

Parkway Subaru Wilmington (800) 424-9434

(910) 793-8710

Fax

Mon.-Fri. 7-6; Sat. 8-2

GEORGIA

NO. CAROLINA

LKQ, TechForce Partner To Build Workforce

LKQ Corporation, through the LKQ Community Foundation, and TechForce Foundation have entered into a strategic partnership to support students pursuing a technical education and career as a professional transportation technician.

LKQ is concerned over the seriousness of the automotive and collision technician shortage and wants to be part of the solution. Currently there are five jobs available for every student graduating tech school.

LKQ has donated $50,000 to support TechForce Foundation’s charitable programs, including a nationwide public service campaign recognizing the value and importance of skilled technicians, its FutureTechs Rock and Techs Rock awards, and TechForce, the first of its kind, gamified online community of aspiring and working technician to find tech schools, scholarships, events, apprenticeships and jobs. TechForce inspires and supports students at all stages in their career journeys.

Source: LKQ Corporation

Date and Location For 2023 MSO Symposium Announced

MSO Symposium Advisory Board members have met several times over the past few months to discuss plans for the 12th annual MSO Symposium, a unique program providing executive-level information on current trends in the collision repair industry along with micro- and macro-economic impacts

Those interested in participating in the industry’s premier executive event should mark their calendars for this year’s conference, set to take place Oct. 30 in Las Vegas, the Monday of SEMA/AAPEX week at the Mirage Convention Center.

Similar to years past, the event’s agenda, timing and content is directed by industry leaders who voluntarily participate on the program’s advisory board.

“The MSO Symposium is the perfect place to meet the best and brightest of the collision industry. Whether it’s keeping up with industry trends, taking a forward look at where the business is headed, or simply networking with colleagues, the MSO Symposium is the place to be,” said David Black

Group, Body by Cochran.

This year’s event will begin at 9 a.m. PDT with coffee, networking and a sponsor showcase. Following is an informative program that

and future outlooks in the collision repair industry.

The one-day conference sessions conclude at 5:30 p.m. and an evening networking reception will directly follow.

For those interested in registering for the 2023 event, be advised attendance is limited and you must qualify to attend. Those able to attend this closed meeting include insurers, OEMs, multi-shop operators and single-location repair facilities with revenue exceeding $3 million in annual sales.

Early bird registration will open in August and will be available for a limited time. Sign up for the MSO Symposium’s e-communications to stay up to date with the latest event announcements and participation opportunities.

highlights important business trends involving the economy,

Equipment and service providers to the industry are also invited to attend the event via one of the limited sponsorship opportunities. Attendance by media personnel is available, but also limited. For more information, visit our website or

“The MSO Symposium is the perfect place to meet the best and brightest of the collision industry. Whether it’s keeping up with industry trends, taking a forward look at where the business is headed, or simply networking with colleagues, the MSO Symposium is the place to be,”

DAVID

BLACK CORPORATE COLLISION DIRECTOR AT DEALER GROUP, BODY BY COCHRA

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Toyota Motor North America Selects CCC® Parts Technology

CCC Intelligent Solutions announced July 25 Toyota Motor North America will use CCC® Promote to support Toyota and Lexus dealers across the U.S. in their parts marketing efforts. CCC Promote enables parts suppliers to offer promotional pricing on parts to collision repairers as estimates are being written within the CCC ONE® platform. CCC estimating software is in use by more than 28,500 repairers and processes more than 26 million repair estimates annually.

“We are excited to offer our customers exceptional value on their parts purchases and our Toyota dealers the opportunity to capture more parts sales,” said Mark Nazario, vice president, Guest Experience and Retention, Toyota. “We’ll be able to help our dealers offer promotional pricing on critical collision parts at the moment when repair estimates are being generated. We are looking forward to working with CCC, a leader in collision estimation and parts procurement, and being able to utilize CCC’s Promote technology.”

CCC Promote offers suppliers a direct way to present promotional pricing early in the estimating process when replacement part decisions are being made. Prices can be customized by vehicle make, model, year or part type. CCC Promote is an integral component of CCC® Parts, the company’s parts e-commerce platform. The two can work together to automate and streamline the parts sourcing workflow from upfront promotional pricing to electronic price quotes, ordering, invoicing and the rebate settlement process with the supplier. CCC enables more than $13 billion in parts sales annually. CCC Parts integrates with leading DMS providers.

“We are proud to support Toyota as it expands its parts marketing strategy, reaching more collision repairers earlier in the decisionmaking process,” said Andreas Hecht, senior vice president, CCC Mobility. Learn more about CCC Promote at cccis.com/partssuppliers/.

Source: CCC Intelligent Solutions

I-CAR Launches Online Career Resource

I-CAR on July 18 marked the official launch of CollisionCareers. com, a seminal online experience dedicated to connecting individuals to rewarding opportunities in collision repair.

CollisionCareers.com achieves the first objective of the Talent Attraction marketing strategy by providing a neutral brand and platform under which industry partners can collaborate on strategic programming and marketing efforts to reposition the industry as a growing, exciting and stable field while amplifying efforts to solve a talent crisis that, because of a combination of unfilled roles and expected retirements over the next five years, is estimated to leave the industry 100,000 skilled technicians short.

CollisionCareers.com and its associated social media channels offer aresource for students and career changers as well as the parents and school counselors who often influence their decisions.

Source: I-CAR

Next-Gen Chevrolet Bolt Confirmed, Will Use Ultium Tech

By Dan Mihalascu InsideEVs

The popular and affordable Chevrolet Bolt will live to see another day, as General Motors CEO Mary Barra confirmed a next-generation version of the Bolt is in the works.

This is a major announcement for the company and for fans of affordable EVs. Barra said the upcoming Bolt EV will be based on GM’s Ultium battery and drive technology and will continue to deliver what customers have come to expect from the nameplate: great affordability, range and technology.

“Our customers love today’s Bolt. It has been delivering record sales and some of the highest customer satisfaction and loyalty scores in the industry,” Barra said. “It’s also an important source of conquest sales for the company and for Chevrolet. We will keep the momentum going by delivering a new Bolt…and we will execute it more quickly compared to an allnew program with significantly lower engineering expense and

capital investment by updating the vehicle with Ultium and Ultifi technologies and by applying our ‘winning with simplicity’ discipline.”

Adopting various Ultium and Ultifi technological advancements will help GM bring the popular model back “on an accelerated timeline.” The automaker did not provide a launch timetable, but said timing and specific details about the next-gen Bolt will be announced at a later date.

General Motors did not say whether the future Bolt will offer two body styles as the current model does—hatchback (Bolt EV) and crossover (Bolt EUV). It did, however, release a teaser photo that shows a portion of the nextgen Bolt’s tailgate featuring the new badge for the nameplate with stylized lettering, including a lightning bolt on the letter O.

The shape of the tail light can also be detected from the shape of the stamped panel, and it looks like the next Bolt will get lower-set horizontal lamps at the rear.

The forthcoming Bolt will join Chevrolet’s growing lineup of all-

electric vehicles, including three launching this year: Silverado EV, Blazer EV and Equinox EV.

The official confirmation regarding the next-generation Chevy Bolt came after Barra in June hinted at the return of the Bolt entry-level EV in the near future.

“But, you know, Bolt is something that has built up a lot of loyalty and equity,” Barra said while speaking on NPR’s Marketplace podcast. “So I can’t say more because I don’t discuss future product programs. But, you know, it was primarily a move from second generation to third generation. But that’s [an] important vehicle in our portfolio.”

GM’s head honcho said the Ultium platform brings 40% lower battery costs compared to the second-generation battery used in the outgoing Bolt EV and EUV, which theoretically means the automaker could offer the next Bolt with a starting MSRP well below $30,000. The Bolt would therefore undercut the Equinox EV, expected to start around $30,000.

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